World of Difference
by Belle's Noir
Summary: What if Harry was introduced to the magical world a little earlier? Entered Hogwarts a little more aware? At 6 Harry is adopted by the Diggory's. HP/VK CD/HG NL/LL, pairings may change. Ravenclaw!Harry
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

"Boy! Up! Get up!"

Harry was pulled roughly out of his dreams of flying motorcycles by the shrill voice of his Aunt Petunia as she moved past the cupboard door and into the kitchen. Harry quickly changed out of his too big pyjamas and into his too big clothes and rushed into the kitchen, not wanting to be accused of laziness because he took too long.

"Eat your breakfast quickly, we're going to the zoo and I'll not have you slowing us down." Harry looked at the table were there was a single piece of soggy toast, as usual he wondered why he was only allowed toast when Dudley was given bacon and eggs and hash browns and whatever else he wanted but he knew better than to ask, his aunt didn't like it when he was ungrateful. "And I want you on your best behaviour, nothing freakish. Vernon has been called into work and I will not be forced to neglect my Dudders just because you can't be normal for once."

Harry raised his eyes from his plate and looked at Petunia, trying not to look too hopeful.

"Am… Am I coming with you?"

Petunia glared at her nephew but couldn't maintain her harsh expression in the face of those green eyes that were almost pleading with her, green eyes so much like her sister's.

"Yes, Harry. You are coming with us." She almost smiled at the happiness that lit up his face, making him look more like Lily than ever, before she remembered that her sister had abandoned her to the magical world and one day her nephew would too. She reinforced her glare, making Harry look back down at his plate, and turned her attention to Dudley who was gearing up for a tantrum.

"**Why?! **Why does the boy have to come with us?! Why can't he go to Mrs Figg like normal?!" Dudley's fat face had turned as red as the fried tomato that was smeared all over the front of his t-shirt, left over from breakfast.

"Mrs Figg passed away darling, we don't have anybody else to look after him and we can't leave the little freak alone in the house. What if he touched something or played with your toys? If he's with us we can keep an eye on him but don't worry, I won't let the horrid boy spoil your special day."

Harry tried hard not to flinch at the hate in his aunt's voice as she mentioned him but it was pointless to try. It hurt too much to know he wasn't loved by his family.

Dudley calmed down, reassured that just because Harry was going with them for once didn't mean he mattered now, Dudley could still have his own way.

***

The trip to the zoo was the best day of Harry's life so far, his aunt and cousin almost completely ignored him and he was allowed to look at the animals on his own as long as he stayed in the same section as them. As they entered the reptile house Harry imagined this is what his birthdays would be like if he still had parents. He was turning seven in just over a month and could imagine being brought to the zoo after eating a special breakfast, his dad lifting him up so he could see the animals better while his mum told him about the animals they were looking at.

He could almost hear a soft female voice whispering to him about which snakes were venomous and where they came from. He would have been able to convince himself the voice was real if he hadn't already known the things it was telling him. Different animals were some of Harry's favourite things to read about and Harry spent a lot of time reading. Books of Dudley's that he smuggled into his cupboard that no one ever noticed were gone, books that Aunt Petunia decided weren't normal enough to keep in the house and tried to throw out before Harry rescued them when she wasn't looking and books in the library at school were Harry got to read whatever he wanted because he couldn't go onto the playground or Dudley and his gang would play 'Harry Hunting'.

He watched Dudley bang on the glass of a huge snake that was sleeping in one of the tanks built into the wall. Harry couldn't help the tiny grin that shaped his lips as his bully of a cousin's eyes narrowed at the snake for was ignoring him. Dudley stood there a moment longer trying to get the snakes attention before giving up and, with one last glare for good measure, moving on to push over some smaller children that were stood in front of a display of water snakes.

Harry crossed the room to look at the snake that had annoyed his cousin so thoroughly. It was the biggest snake at the zoo and the plaque next to the window proclaimed in to be a boa constrictor.

"Sorry about him." Harry whispered as he leant his forehead against the glass of the tank. "You must be forever getting idiots like that disturbing you while you're sleeping. Must get annoying."

***

Cedric watched as the little black haired boy began to whisper to the large snake, too far away to hear what was being said. He felt his eyes go wide as the snake rose to look at the black haired boy, probably the first little boy that didn't bang on the window. He tugged on his mum's hand as he saw the fat blond boy punch the smaller boy in the side and knock him to the floor.

All three Diggorys watched in shock as the little black haired boy made the glass in front of the boa constrictor disappear, allowing the snake to make a break for freedom pausing slightly on the way to nudge the little boy in thanks.

The elder Diggorys watched in concern, Cedric in confusion, as a thin woman with pinched lips dragged the boy to standing by his hair and hit him over the head with enough for to knock his glasses to the floor. The family of three could hear the woman berate the silently crying little boy, the room now clearing out and becoming just empty enough to hear what was being said over the chaos that had erupted in wake of the snake's departure.

"I warned you! I wanted none of your freakishness on this trip! You've ruined Dudley's birthday! Just you wait till Vernon gets home from work; you'll be in your cupboard for the rest of the summer!"

The boy began to tremble at the threat of the man he'd see later.

"Mum, why is that lady telling the boy off? It was an accident because the other boy hurt him, he didn't do it on purpose."

Mary Diggory chose her words very carefully as she answered her son, her eyes still focused on the only other people in the now deserted reptile house.

"He must be a muggleborn sweetheart and when the muggles don't understand what's happening they get scared and that sometimes makes them act mean." She frowned as the woman grabbed the boys chin in an obviously bruising grip and forced him to face her, her words becoming vicious and out and out insulting. "Amos, we've got to do something, that child can't be more than four or five and I highly doubt her attitude is going to change even if we did explain to her what was going on."

Amos glanced at his wife and son, both of them frowning at the woman's behaviour.

"We had always planned on having another child." His whispered, looking thoughtful. "We can easily afford it."

"You want to take him in?" Mary looked shocked and just a little bit hopeful obviously pleased with the idea of another child after the difficult birth of Cedric when she lost the ability to conceive. Amos smiled and kissed his wife tenderly.

"I think that might be the best solution."

Mary smiled blindingly at him before approaching the woman that had finally stopped degrading the tiny black haired boy and was fussing and crooning over the obese blonde child.

"Excuse me," She said, as politely as possibly although the fury of a mother seeing a child mistreated was evident in her eyes. "I'm Mary Diggory, I couldn't help but notice what happened."

"Nothing happened." The woman snapped immediately, clearly trying to look superior and failing due to her obvious terror that someone had seen what the child had done.

"Nothing bad happened." Mary instantly tried to reassure, holding her hands up in a placating manner. "But this little boy did accidently magic, it happens with magical children when they get angry or scared."

"You're one of them, are you? Bet you went to that school as well." The bitterness was almost tangible and Mary frowned in confusion. If the woman already knew about magic why was she angry at the little boy for something he couldn't control? With a sinking feeling in her stomach she watched the hate enter the woman's eyes as she mentioned a school, obviously Hogwarts.

"Yes, I'm a witch." She answered with as much pride in her voice as she could muster, refusing to be cowed by the woman in front of her. "And this little boy is a wizard and there is nothing wrong with that."

"So say you." The woman scoffed, not willing to get into a debate over the subject. "Well, what do you want?"

"My husband, Amos, and I were wondering if you would like us adopt him." She replied bluntly, she couldn't tolerate the woman enough to spend time beating around the bush.

"Why would you want him?" She asked the second the shock had worn off and been replaced with suspicion.

"Because every child should be valued and cherished and you are clearly doing neither." Mary's tone was the coldest Amos had ever heard it, the last of her patience worn away at the horribly worded question. "I imagine he will be much happier with other magical people that can understand him as opposed to vilifying him."

The woman looked taken back by Mary's words and almost ashamed but Mary put that down to a trick of the light.

"Did you… Did you support…?" Her lips became even thinner as her waved her hand around as though to pick the word right out of the air.

"Who?" Mary asked with a frown.

"Vul… Vol… Voldemort." She paused slightly as the man in the background flinched but chose to ignore it. "The one that killed his parents."

Mary gasped, he was an orphan?

"Oh you poor boy." She whispered looking at the tiny child staring at his guardian with a mixture of confusion, hope and anger. She looked back at the woman waiting for a response. "No, we'd never support that monster."

"You'll keep him safe? With his own kind?" The question was asked a mixture of regret and wistfulness. Mary didn't even need to think about the answer.

"Yes."

"Then you can take him." It was said with a cool detachment but the emotion couldn't be hidden in her eyes. Mary wondered at their relation for the woman to have such mixed emotions over him. She bent down and passed the little boy his glasses off the floor, staying at eye level with him. Her breath hitched at the fear and hope and confusion swirling around the most beautiful green eyes she'd ever seen.

"Hello," She whispered, not wanting to startle him. "I'm Mary, that's my husband, Amos, and that's my son, Cedric. What's your name?"

"Harry, ma'am, Harry Potter." His voice was soft and musical, trembling just a little bit and Mary fell just that little bit more in love with him. She heard the twin gasps behind her and fought the urge to hex the woman that barely deserved the title of mother. This boy had almost died for the entire wizarding world, his parents _had_ died and the people lucky enough to take him in treated him as less than human. "Am… Am I going to live with you now?"

"Yes, sweetheart, you are." Her smile widened at the matching one Harry gave her, his whole face lighting up with happiness and relief. What must his life have been like for him to be relieved he was moving in with strangers? "I'm going to take you and Cedric to get your things and Amos is going to get some forms that your family need to sign."

"I don't have any things." Harry's eyes were downcast, obviously ashamed. Mary's face tightened as she tried to hold in the snarl she wanted to directed at the pathetic excuse for a human being standing next to her. The only kindness she'd obviously ever shown the boy was allowed him to be adopted.

"Well then, how about we go straight home then, you can pick out a bedroom." The Diggory family home wasn't huge by any standards but it had four bedrooms, two of them currently guest rooms. More than enough space for one more person.

"Will… Will I be a part of your family now?" The question was hesitant, almost as though Harry were afraid of the answer, which he probably was, expecting to be rejected but hoping not to be.

"Yes, Harry, you will be. I'll be your mother, Amos will be your father and Cedric will be your brother." Mary almost cried as Harry's face looked like it was going to split in two from the size of the smile he graced them with. She stood and held out a hand for him to take, which he did tentatively, before holding out her other hand for Cedric. "Come on, Cedric, we've got to take your new little brother home."

Cedric looked at Harry, who shifted nervously under the scrutiny, before ignoring his mother's hand and going round to Harry's other side and offering his own. The younger boy looked at him in shock before taking it shyly, green eyes wide behind his coke bottle glasses. _Those will be the first thing to go_, Mary thought to herself as she watched her older son show his acceptance for her younger son.

With one last pointed look to her husband, silently telling him to take care of the details, Mary proudly escorted her two children to the portkey site in the magical section of the zoo and took them home.

***

Please let me know what you think!

This is just an idea that came to me and I want to see how it works out.

If you have an opinion on future pairings, let me know, they can be changed!

Thank you for reading!

Hanna xoxo


	2. Chapter One

_**Chapter One**_

"Bye mum, bye dad." Harry hugged his parents one last time, too full of nervous excitement to feel any sadness at leaving his parent's for the first time in just over four years. He knew it would catch up to him later though and he'd already told him mum to get ready for a teary letter regaling them of his classes and telling them how much he missed and loved them.

"Come on, Harry, you wanna get a good seat on the train." Cedric couldn't help but grin at the excitement on his little brothers face, it was only two years ago that Harry had stood in the exact same spot, sobbing his heart out because his big brother was going away to school. He was so proud of how far Harry had come from the quiet, unsure boy they had taken in to the intelligent and confident preteen he was now. He was looking forward to watching him flourish in school.

"I'm ready, I'm ready, come on Ced." Harry grabbed the older boy's elbow and started tugging him away, their luggage already on the train. He paused just before stepping off the platform and turned to his parents for one last look. "Bye! Love you!"

Then he was gone. Cedric followed his example and turned around, giving his parents a reassuring smile. He could see his mother was only moments away from bursting into tears. It hadn't been so bad when Cedric had first left; Harry had still been at home to keep his mother company during the day while their dad was at the ministry.

Now she'd be alone during the day, it would be hard on her but Cedric knew his mum would appreciate the time to herself, at least until she got bored.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him and I'll write to you tonight and let you know what house he's in just in case he forgets." With one last wave, Cedric boarded the train.

***

Harry knocked on the door of the compartment, not wanting to just barge in despite knowing one of the occupants. He saw the boy smile at him as he recognised their visitor and waved him in.

"Hi, Harry, are you as excited as me?" Neville was a slightly chubby boy, still holding on to his baby fat, but his round face was open and friendly. "This is Hermione Granger, she's a muggleborn and a first year."

"Hello," Harry said, as he settled into the seat next to Neville, he held his out to the girl with bushy brown hair, her curls would be lovely when she was old enough to tame them, and warm brown eyes. "I'm Harry, Harrison Diggory."

Further conversation was interrupted for the moment as the train pulled away from the station and the three new first years shared an excited grin.

"I'm so excited!" Harry just couldn't contain the grin that lit his face, he was barely holding on to the urge to bounce in his seat. "Have you done much background reading on the castle?" Harry asked the muggleborn, knowing that if it was him coming in to a completely new culture, he'd want to catch up with the other children as soon as possible.

The next hour was spent with Harry and Neville telling Hermione all the stories their relatives had told them about school life in the castle. Hermione asked the boys if either of them had decided on a familiar to bring with them. Harry confessed that he hadn't found an animal that he felt connected with when he'd gone to Diagon Alley at the end of the summer but his parents had promised he could look every time they went to the alley until he'd found one that fit with him.

It was that conversation that caused Neville to realise that at some point of the journey, his toad Trevor had managed to sneak out of his robe pocket. Just as the three of them were getting ready to go search the train, the doors opened and Cedric walked in followed closely by two identical red heads.

"Hey Harry, I shoulda known you'd ditch me for Nev as soon as you could."

"Sorry, Ced, I should have checked in before we got to talking but y'know I got caught up in things." Harry smiled sheepishly, hoping Cedric hadn't worry too much knowing Harry could still become quite introverted around people he was uncomfortable with. He was growing out of it but the family doubted he would completely lose the habit until he was no longer the shortest around so he no longer felt at a disadvantage. Learning to channel his magic would probably help with that considerably. "Actually, can you do us a favour? Neville's toad Trevor has made a bid for freedom, can you summon him or something?"

"Sorry, kids, you'll have to." Started one twin, much to the amusement of Cedric and Harry who had seen this routine a thousand times before.

"Talk to Percy for that." Continued the other, obviously relishing in the baffled expression of Neville and Hermione's faces.

"Summoning charms are."

"Forth year material so."

"We haven't done them yet." Finished Cedric before the twins could and smirked at the outraged expressions on their faces, while the younger three didn't even try to hide their laughter.

"Oi, Percy!" The twins yelled in unison. A third redhead, wearing horn-rimmed glasses and a prefects badge, popped his head around the door almost instantly, making everyone jump, having not expected him so quickly.

"What?"

***

After the return of Trevor, the first years were left alone for the majority of the ride, enjoying the scenery and getting to know one another. Well, Hermione was getting to know them and vice versa but Neville and Harry had become cousins after the adoption and had known each other since they were seven. Mary Diggory's maiden name was Longbottom and she was younger sister to Frank, Neville's father. When the Diggory's had first adopted Harry they wanted him to have at least one friend his own age so took to arranging afternoons out with Neville. The interactions doing wonders for both boys confidence.

The first few months after the adoption had been very confusing for everyone, after a life of servitude with such strict rules Harry found his new freedom overwhelming. Mary had cried when he'd finally broken down and begged for chores or just some sort of instruction or restriction. They had settled for giving him a schedule. Meals, playtime, bath-time and bedtime becoming the same time everyday without fail and it became Harry's responsibility to keep his bedroom tidy and toy's in order. For a long time Harry's room had been the most organised room in the house.

"So Harry, what house do you think you'll be in?" Neville asked, trying to draw Harry out of his obviously unpleasant thoughts.

"I don't really mind, they are all as good as each other." Harry answered with a careless shrug. "As long as I find a decent friend there, it doesn't really matter what colour the tie is."

"Aren't you worried you'll end up in Slytherin?" Hermione's eyes were wide as she whispered the question, Harry frowned.

"No, why would I be?"

"The escort sent to take me and my parent's to Diagon Alley said all evil witches and wizards came from Slytherin."

Harry rolled his eyes at the display of prejudice, how can they expect students to promote house unity if the teachers won't?

"That's nonsense, anyone evil can come from any house, it's just the Slytherin ones tend to get noticed more because in a bid to take over the world cunning is gonna get you further than bravery. Everyone talks about Gryffindors being brave and Slytherins being cunning but that's not the only characteristic they have, just the one they value most. A Slytherin can be brave just like a Gryffindor can be cunning. The house you end up in depends on which personality traits you pride yourself on, not which ones you have."

Hermione scrutinized Harry for a long moment before turning to Neville who was nodding along. Harry remembered the fit his mother threw when she'd found the twins and Cedric telling Harry that all Slytherins were sneaky and evil, both parents had sat him down the next day and explained to him properly how the house systems at Hogwarts worked and why each house was perfectly acceptable. He'd also overheard his parents explaining to the older boys that they shouldn't be prejudice against Slytherins as it was likely Harry would end up there. Apparently it was very common for abused children to end up in the snake house because they developed a drive to prove themselves better than the people who hurt them. Cedric never said anything against Slytherin again, neither did the twins to Harry's knowledge.

Hermione nodded in acceptance of Harry's logic before opening her mouth but whatever it was she was going to say was cut off when the door was yanked open with enough force to rattle the window. The three first years watched as a redheaded boy with soot on his nose waltzed in and plonked himself down next to Hermione before helping himself to the last chocolate frog.

"Hiya I'm Ron Weasley."

Harry raised an eyebrow, so this was the youngest Weasley male? He was distinctly unimpressed, even Fred and George for all there pranks and mischief had impeccable manners when they were called for, were they really related to this boy?

"Hermione Granger." The girl gave a sniff of distain, obviously not appreciating the lack of common courtesy.

"Neville Longbottom." Neville just looked bemused and Harry could understand why, he'd met Augusta Longbottom, she was a formidable woman. If Neville _or_ Harry had behaved like that in her presence she'd have had them over her knee before they could blink, eleven years old or not.

"Harrison Diggory."

"Oh I know you, Cedric Diggory's little brother, he's been over to the house a few times with the twins, o' course you've probably met them when they go over to your place." He looked at Harry expectantly but Harry had no idea how to respond, he hadn't asked a question or said anything that really warranted a response so Harry settled for nodding and that seemed enough for the redhead. If Harry was honest, he didn't really want engage the boy in conversation. He was probably nice enough once you got past the obnoxious exterior but he really wasn't the type of boy Harry could have a close friendship with, he was sort of shallow from what Harry had heard from the twins. "I don't know how your mum puts up with the twins being round so much during the summer, they drive everyone mental at our house, with all their pranks."

"We like them, it gives everyone something to laugh about, although they learnt pretty quickly not to do anything that couldn't be undone straight away." Harry stared out the window as he answered, hoping the boy would realise they weren't actually that happy with the way he'd pushed his way in and was now ignoring Nev and Hermione.

"No one in our family trusts them any more, they never come out with anything true anyway. Everything's a joke or a prank to them. Like on the way here they told me that you were Harry Potter." Ron laughed, clearly thinking it was the most absurd thing in the world. Hermione just looked at Ron like he had a screw loose, how had he not realised they weren't interested? Harry just shared a look with Neville, he really hadn't wanted to deal with this yet.

"That's true."

Ron laughter died as he and Hermione stared wide-eyed at him. Harry rolled his own before lifting his fringe to expose the famous lightening bolt scar marring his forehead. He'd deliberately had his hair cut in a way to hide it, he might not be as timid as he was when he'd first left the Dursley's but he still wasn't really comfortable with the idea of people starring at him.

"The Diggory's adopted me shortly before I turned seven, the family I'd been left with weren't very nice."

At this Hermione's shocked face softened into an understanding smile, telling him she understood and still wanted to be his friend, Harry grinned in response.

"Bloody Hell." Ron breathed, the look of awe on his face making Harry squirm in his seat much to the amusement of the other two. "I knew Harry Potter was going to be at Hogwarts soon but I wasn't sure it would be this year. This is brilliant, we can be in Gryffindor together and pull pranks on the Slytherins."

"I don't think I'm going to be in Gryffindor." Harry interrupted, wanted to put an end to that fantasy before it took on a life of its own.

"Course you will." Ron waved his hand absently, as though physically brushing the idea away, obviously still absorbed in his plans for the future. "Your parents were in Gryffindor."

"Actually, my mother was a Ravenclaw and my father was a Hufflepuff." Harry bit out, the other two could see he was beginning to loose his temper with the rude Weasley. "Lily and James Potter were Gryffindors but I can't remember them and while I'm sure they were lovely people they have had no influence in my upbringing."

Ron looked dumbfounded, why would he want a Hufflepuff parent when he had two Gryffindor parents?

"Erm, that's a bit disrespectful ain't it, mate? I mean, they did die for you."

Neville and Hermione's eyes went wide at the audacity while Harry scowled at Ron for his tactlessness and obvious guilt trip, who in Merlin's name did this boy think he was? A question like that could ruin someone's life and the way they looked at themselves if they'd never thought of it before, but luckily Harry had. Shortly after being adopted and finding out the truth of what happened to his parents, he began to feel guilty. What if they thought he was replacing them? That had been another topic Mary had to sit him down to discuss with him.

"I will always love my biological parents but if they were half the parents I think they were then I'm sure they'd be happy that I'd found a new family to belong to, that I wasn't alone."

Ron just looked uncomfortable now but the others wanted to cheer when he finally decided to drop it.

"Erm, I think I'm gonna to talk to my brothers before we reach the castle."

The others grinned at each other as Ron beat a hasty retreat, obviously Harry Potter wasn't quite how Ron imagined him.

"Did you hear about the Great Hall?" Hermione asked as they settled in to enjoy the rest of the journey. "The ceiling is bewitched to reflect the sky outside, the weather as well. I read about it in '_Hogwarts: A History_'."

"That's true, except on the Holidays." Harry replied, the other two shot him quizzical looks, asking him to explain further. "According to '_Hogwarts: Marauder's Secrets_' by R. Moony, it will show specific things on the holidays, like snow at Christmas and a storm on Halloween regardless of the real weather at the time."

***

As Harry settled into the dormitory that night, he couldn't help but feel slightly proud that he had ended up a Ravenclaw like his mum. He was also somewhat relieved that his name had been announced Harry Diggory, he didn't think he could stomach the pandemonium that being addressed as Harry Potter would have caused. He wasn't going to make a secret of his former identity, that would just make the scandal even bigger when he was found out and he would have been found out. Hopefully this way it will get round slowly and everyone will respect his decision to be a Diggory, not a Potter.

The feast had been spectacular, the food had almost been as good as his mother's. He'd met the Ravenclaw Ghost, known as the Gray Lady, she'd greeted them with promises of help should the ever find themselves lost while trying to traverse Hogwarts many moving staircases.

There had only been seven students sorted in to Ravenclaw this year, three boys and four girls. The wizarding world was getting smaller and smaller due to the purebloods refusal to mix with half bloods and muggleborns. The other two boys he was now sharing a dorm with were Michel Connor and Terry Boot while Hermione was rooming with Padma Patil, Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin.

The first years had enjoyed trying to get into the common room for the first time. To access the Ravenclaw dormitories they'd had to answer a riddle, the prefect who'd shown them the way refused to help them.

"What can run but never walks

has a mouth but never talks

has a head but never weeps

has a bed but never sleeps?"

They'd been there for twenty minutes arguing over what it could be before Harry had been able to answer in a flash of inspiration. A river had been the answer. Not the most complicated of riddles but they'd only been allowed to hear it once and they had already been exhausted after the excitement of the day. Thank god the riddles were only changed at the start of term, Harry didn't fancy spending time trying to answer new puzzles whenever he wanted into the common room, imagine doing that when you needed the loo?

The next morning Harry had been surprised to receive a letter of his parents, congratulating him on becoming a Claw like his mum, Cedric having written to them the night before to let them know, guessing Harry would have forgotten to in all the excitement of a new school and making new friends. Harry and Hermione had giggled until breathless when they'd first heard the students referred to as Gryffs, Slyths, Puffs and Claws.

The weeks passed quickly after that, Harry and Hermione charming almost all their professors with their advanced knowledge. Or, at times when they didn't know the answer, their thirst to find out what the answer was and then reading everything they could find about it in the school library as well as the library attached the Ravenclaw common room.

The only lesson Harry had any problems in was potions. He'd already expected Snape to somewhat dislike him, his mother had already told him all about the rivalry between the professor and his biological father during their time at school. But Mary had told him that Lily had been close friends with the surly man before a falling out in their fifth year. If he'd really regretted the rift in friendship as much as everyone suspected, surely he'd somewhat try to make amends by giving her only son a fair chance despite his hate for who fathered that child.

The flying lessons that had taken place in Harry's fourth week had been his favourite so far though Hermione would disagree. They'd shared lessons with the Hufflepuffs and thankfully managed to avoid any arguments or injuries unlike the Gryffindor/Slytherin lesson.

Harry had always enjoyed flying ever since his first time on a broom when he was eight, even if it was only a training broom and wouldn't do any more than hover. Cedric would sometimes take him out on the broom he got for Christmas just before his first year. After the first time, his mother could no longer watch as they flew, she'd screamed herself hoarse yelling for Harry to hold on tighter to his brother.

But the lessons had been marvellous, he was finally flying solo! It had been an effort not to completely disregard Madam Hooch and just go tearing round the Quidditch pitch. The rest of the class had been awed at Harry's skill on a broom, even if he couldn't show it off properly, his affinity for flying had been obvious. It hadn't taken long for Terry and Mike to decide he should tryout for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. And they wouldn't take no for an answer, of course when Harry proved more stubborn than they'd anticipated, adamant that a first year wouldn't make the team, they'd gone behind his back, directly to the Quidditch Captain.

Harry had been half right. He didn't make the starting team but he was the reserve seeker. Sarah Fawcett, the Quidditch captain, didn't want to put him at risk by making him a starting player in his first year. He was still small for his age and the other teams wouldn't take mercy on him just for that. He'd be fouled before he was even in the air.

So Harry joined them for practice and stamina training, getting ready to be their secret weapon come the start of his second year, once he'd toned up and developed enough skill to hold his own against the other team's seekers. He was just grateful his mother had gotten rid of his horrible glasses years ago. Magically assisted corrective surgery really was a Godsend and he dreaded to think how hard it would be to spot the tiny flying ball if his eye sight had still been as bad as when he was a child.

***

The next thing Harry and his friends knew it was Halloween. The day started easily enough but went down hill abruptly after charms when Ron started shooting his mouth off about Hermione. Everyone watching could see that he was just sore over the fact that she'd gotten the hang of the levitation charm faster than him but that didn't stop it hurting Hermione when he called her a know-it-all. She was gone before Harry could stop her and it didn't take a genius to realise she was crying.

"Where do you get off," Harry shouted, rounding on the startled redhead. "insulting someone else just because she learnt a spell faster than you. It's pathetic, instead of mocking her for _how_ she helped you, you should just be thankful she cared enough to help her at all."

"Come on, Harry." Ron pleaded, his voice taking on a whiney quality. Or maybe Harry was just angry enough with him that everything about Ron had become annoying. "You know I'm right."

"Just stay the Hell away from her, Ron." Neville commanded, surprising Harry who didn't know that the Gryff had come to stand next to him. The friends took one last disgusted look at Ron before running after the female member of their trio. After finally giving in and asking Mandy where she could be, they'd eventually found her alone in the abandoned girls toilets on the second floor.

When they realised just how much Ron's taunts had actually hurt their friend, they gave up of the idea of the feast in the Great Hall and had their own picnic on the floor of the bathroom with whatever sweets they had in their bags and Moaning Myrtle as an extra guest.

Rather unluckily about halfway through, interruption came in the form of a mountain troll that had the three first years cowering in cubicles while Moaning Myrtle went for help. Of course it wasn't long before the troll realised where they were and began to swing his club at the toilets instead of the sinks. After pelting large bits of debris at his head and the tiled walls around him proved basically useless, it was Hermione who managed to get a lucky shot and levitated it's club out of its hand, seconds before it came crashing down on Neville. It only took one hit from its own club to render the troll unconscious but took a further five minutes and the arrival of the teachers to bring the three of them out of their shock.

"Explain yourselves." Professor McGonagall shrieked, her hands flying to her chest at the sight of the unconscious troll on the bathroom floor.

"I think it's obvious, professor." Interrupted the silky tones of Snape before either of the three students or ghost had a chance to answer. "When Mr Potter and his sidekicks heard about the troll at dinner, he thought that surely a fully grown mountain troll was no match for the fabled Boy-Who-Lived. Isn't that so, Mr Potter."

"Diggory, Professor." Harry corrected automatically, with a scowl. "Actually, none of us were at the feast. We were already in here when the mountain troll arrived."

"And tell me, Mr _Potter_. Why were you not at the feast?"

"That was my fault, Professor." Hermione whispered, she obviously didn't want to admit that a boy made her cry but they had no other acceptable reason to give for being where they were, unless they want to say they came after the troll but why get in trouble when you don't have to? "Ron Weasley was picking on me. I got upset and ran off. I came here, Harry and Neville found me a short while ago but I wasn't ready to go back out yet so we stayed her, eating sweets. The troll turned up and cornered us, Myrtle went for help and I levitated the club out of its hand and knocked it out."

After that explanation, Snape had no way to blame them for being in danger and was forced to let them go, McGonagall awarding them ten points each, for sheer dumb luck, much to the dungeon bat's displeasure.

By the next day, everyone knew that Harry Diggory and two friends had faced off against the mountain troll. This led to a fight between Harry and his brother when Cedric, at the top of his voice and in the Great Hall, asked Harry what on Earth he'd been thinking going after a mountain troll.

Harry had responded just as loudly that he didn't go looking for the troll, he'd gone looking for Hermione and didn't even know the troll was in the school until it was too late, he stormed out after that, annoyed at his brother for shouting at him before asking him what had happened.

It had taken Cedric till lunch to finally catch up to Harry and apologise. Despite having only been there two months, Harry already knew his way around the castle as well as most fifth years and his short stature made it easier to duck out of sight when avoiding someone in the corridors.

Of course the spat between the two brothers had nothing on the fit Mary Diggory and Augusta Longbottom threw when they found out a troll had gotten into the school at that three children had been forced to face it alone. For a full week afterwards, Ministry officials could be seen reinforcing the wards and making sure every side door in and out of the castle was locked tight and password protected. Nothing was getting in again.

Before anyone knew what hit them it was Christmas and Harry couldn't wait to go home. As much as he was enjoying school he was still only eleven and missed his parents something fierce. Christmas day was exactly like it always was in the Diggory household, regardless of how old their sons got, Mary and Amos were still woken at eight in the morning by two boys jumping on the bed. This was followed by a breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and mugs of hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks. It was only once they had all eaten and washed the dishes that they were allowed to open their presents.

The only thing that happened to set this Christmas apart from all the others was anonymous gift containing an invisibility cloak with a note claiming it had once belonged to James Potter, though the note was addressed to Mr Potter and referred to James Potter as his father. Harry hated it when people did that. He knew that if the Potters had survived then his relationship with them would have been just as loving as it was between him and his parents, but they hadn't, he'd never met them. How can people expect him to have some sort of connection to people he couldn't remember? The Potters would always have a place in his heart, they were his biological parents and they had loved him enough to die for him but it didn't go further than that. He had a new family that he loved more than anything and they loved him just as much as he's sure the Potters did. Why did people seem to think he wasn't allowed that?

***

Soon Winter ended and Spring was around the corner. Harry had barely thought about the incident with the troll on Halloween, he hadn't considered how it got in or why Quirrell had apparently told the professors it was in the dungeon when it was actually on the second floor. A floor that, at the time, had only had three living people on. Surely, a dumb as rock troll would have followed the noise to everyone in the Great Hall? So how did it end up one the second floor? That should have been deserted at the time? Unless it was herded up there, which would mean that someone wanted Harry to face a troll. But why? Surely no one could expect Harry to survive that encounter? Maybe that was the point.

But Harry never thought about any of this. Not until the second incident that almost caused Harry untimely, or timely as someone apparently thought, demise.

It was the first potions lesson of February and each student was working individually at a desk, test conditions which meant work quickly and work quietly, no talking to other students. Harry was good a potions when Snape cut him enough slack for him to actually be able to focus, apparently all that cooking for the Dursleys was good for something after all. However this was the only class were Harry wasn't in the top two, he wasn't even close in this class. Normally he was fighting for the top spot, normally with Hermione or Draco Malfoy, or Neville in the case of Herbology.

Apparently for all Snape went on that he should be treated like every other student, he was full of hot air. He was the only professor to treat Harry differently, and it wasn't in a good way. In short, Snape bullied Harry and Harry was just about sick of it. He really didn't want to complain to his parents but the greasy git was messing with this was his education! 90% of what Harry knew about potions he'd learnt from independent study, Snape just wasn't teaching and Harry was sick of it! Sick of the snarky comments and being called either Potter or stupid or **boy**! It was probably an even toss up of which word made his blood boil hotter.

He hadn't been called boy since his time with the Dursleys and he really didn't have a pleasant reaction to the word. At least Snape wasn't calling him a freak or something in the room just might have exploded.

But for once, Snape was leaving him be. There'd been barely a word said to him and Harry really couldn't be happier about that. Maybe if he actually made the potion perfectly, Snape would back off for the rest of the year, if Harry just proved himself to the man a little.

The idea had barely crossed his mind before the potion turned blood red and began to spit ominously. It took seconds for Harry's mind to figure out what had happen and another second for him to get over his shock. Someone had sabotaged his potion!

"Professor!" He just had time to shout before he was forced to duck and roll out of the way of the mini-explosion that would have been fatal had he not realised what had happened,

"You foolish boy!" The professor bellowed as he vanished the contents of the now melted cauldron. Harry shakily got to his feet. That had been closer than he'd like to admit. "Do you have a death wish? That explosion could have killed you. Not paying attention in this class **will** kill you!"

"I was paying attention!" Harry roared back, his temper had finally been exceeded as far as Severus Snape was concerned. It had been a long time coming. " I didn't cause that! That explosion was caused by adding mandagora straight after the aconite on a high flame!"

"There is no mandagora in the potion, Potter!" Snape's voice was deathly calm, a sure sign of impending doom as far as any other student was concerned but Harry was too far gone to care. He was **not** going to take the blame for this!

"Exactly!" Harry screamed slightly hysterically, the shock of how close he came to dying playing with his emotions. "I know there's no mandagora in this potion! Look at the vials in my kit, I've never even opened my mandagora! This means someone deliberately added it to my potion to cause that explosion and with all due respect, sir, my name is Harry Diggory. I haven't been Harry bloody Potter since my seventh birthday!" With that Harry slumped into the nearest vacant chair and put his head in his hands, trying hard not to hyperventilate or cry. He was suddenly exhausted.

Snape's face was a blank mask as he stared at Harry for a long moment before doing just what Harry suggested and looking at the vials in his first year potions kit. Harry's mandagora was indeed untouched and still sealed.

"Class dismissed." Without it even been voiced Harry knew to stay behind. Snape approached the small shaking boy and kneeled in front of him. "Calm down, Mr Diggory, you are in shock. This is a common side effect when someone tries to kill you."

Harry choked on a startle laugh and looked at his professor in slightly fearful disbelief, had Snape just made a joke? Was the apocalypse coming? Of course Harry knew that if he actually asked these questions a second and probably successful attempt would be made on his life so settled for saying. "You called me Mr Diggory."

"Indeed." Snape commented dryly, was this his was of admitting he was wrong about Harry? Harry's breath was still coming in short gasps and black spots were appearing in front of his eyes, his fingers and toes were tingling slightly. "Oh, and Mr Diggory, detention for cursing a teacher."

Harry gave another chocked laugh just as darkness overcame him and he slumped towards the floor.

***

Harry had woken the next morning in the hospital wing. Hermione and Cedric had clobbered him with hugs when he made it into the Great Hall for breakfast, apparently word had spread fast about Harry's brush with death in potions.

This left Harry with a bit of a dilemma, did he tell Cedric and Mione that someone was after his blood or not? The upside to telling them was that he'd have someone to help watch his back, the downside was he'd never get a moments peace, between the two of them they'd smother him to death in days.

He decided to wait, if the person responsible really was the set on killing him, he'd no doubt try again and Harry didn't want anyone he cared about getting caught in the crossfire and if they knew there was no way they'd leave him alone.

His detention was served a week later in the Forbidden Forest, he was also stuck with Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley who'd gotten trouble for fighting in the corridors. Again. They'd been instructed to find an injured unicorn; Harry and Draco went off with Fang the boar hound while Ron stuck close to Hagrid.

It didn't take long for them to find the unicorn, beautiful even in death only now it was hauntingly so. However the truly terrifying aspect of that situation was not the fate of poor animal but the black cloaked figure drinking from the wound on the creature's neck.

Before Harry really had chance to comprehend what he was seeing, Draco let out a blood curdling scream, Harry would be sure to tease him about that when he next saw the blonde, and bolted back in the direction they had come from, Fang at his heels, leaving Harry alone to face the blood soaked figure that was now aware of his presence.

Harry stumbled back as the creature, because it couldn't be a person, moved towards him. A sudden pain in his forehead causing him to not notice the tree root behind him leaving him sprawled on the floor. He almost cried with relief as something leaped over him driving the monster back and out of the clearing.

The centaur, as it turned out to be, introduced himself as Firenze before insisting Harry sit on his back as they made their way back to Hagrid. Any conversation Harry tried to start was stilted, Firenze obviously unsure as to how much he should say. Harry knew centaurs could read the stars and this one was clearly struggling with whether or not he should allow what he'd seen to happen. Harry could tell Firenze was building up to something as he explained what unicorn blood was used for and who would be so desperate to use something so pure for something so monstrous.

"Voldemort." Harry breathed. Lord Voldemort was in the Forbidden Forest. How had he got so close to the school undetected?

"Harry Potter, did you know something is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

Harry frowned, he'd heard nothing about anything in the school at all, which must mean it was something so important or dangerous that the chance couldn't be taken for the students to even find out something was there. Let alone what.

But where could it be? Only the teachers' quarters were out of bounds. Students could go anywhere else as long as they knew it was there, which wasn't say much though to be honest. But he'd heard no whispers about anywhere being locked up. Except… At the Welcoming feast. Professor Dumbledore has said the third floor was out of bounds this year.

Harry had assumed, in a castle this old that the corridor had just becoming unsafe, the structural integrity had been compromised or something. After all, even magic could only keep a building together for so long. But maybe it had been closed because something was hidden there.

It was common knowledge that Hogwarts was the safest place in the magical world, except maybe Gringotts. Then again, someone had managed to successfully break into the bank for the first time in history, just before the school year had started. Was that why what was hidden was at Hogwarts? Because surely the headmaster wouldn't want to risk the school being broken into unless there was no other choice.

"The third floor, someone broke into Gringotts for it. That's why it's here. What is it?" Harry was in awe, what could be so important that they could risk someone as dangerous a Voldemort coming to a school full of children just to get it?

"You are intelligent, Harry Potter, you tell me."

"Please, my name is Harry Diggory now. And how am I supposed to know? I can't thing of anything important enough to hide in a _school_."

"Something that will give the Dark Lord his body back and grant his wish of immortality. Something that can create gold out of anything it touches."

Harry's eyes went wide. No. It couldn't be possible. There wasn't one currently in existence. Was there? It's not like the person who made it would have died and let it be lost. The last time one was made was six hundred years ago, the man who made it could easily still be alive and kicking and now hiding from Voldemort.

"The philosopher's stone."

"Well done, Harry Potter."

It was silent after that. Harry's mind was racing with thoughts too fast for him to really understand and numb from shock both at the same time. The world around him was a blur and the next thing Harry knew he was in bed trying to sleep. He didn't even remember changing into his pyjamas.

Harry continued on automatic for three days before Cedric, Neville and Hermione dragged him into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom for an interrogation.

"Now, Harry." Cedric started, forcing him into one of the conjured chairs. "Out with it."

He sighed, he wasn't gonna get out of this one and if everything was really as serious as the centaur had said then they deserved to know. Ten minutes later Harry had finished explaining about the attempts on his life and his encounters in the forest. Their reactions varied from anger to fear but the one emotion that was apparent throughout the tale was worry.

"He… He has help, doesn't he?" Hermione asked tentatively, Harry nodded but Neville looked confused. "He has help inside the castle, he isn't doing this alone."

Neville and Cedric paled, it made sense. Voldemort couldn't move around the castle unnoticed, at least while the students were around. So someone who can must be helping him.

"Before the incident in potions, I'd have said it was Snape but I don't think he'd do this." Harry mused. Snape's demeanour while Harry had been scared was not friendly but warmer than normal and somehow reassuring.

"It has to be an older Slytherin then." Cedric said with certainty. Hermione glared.

"Cedric, you can't say that! It's a stereotype!"

"Stereotypes become so because they spend so long being true." He retorted and while that was not true in every instance, he did have a point.

"Statistically, he's probably right, Mione." She turned her glare to Harry and he hastened to explain himself. "Voldemort had more support in Slytherin than any other house and it has to be at least a sixth year for them to remember his first reign well enough to feel compelled to help him come back."

Cedric shuddered. He might have only been three but even he could vaguely remember the terror that permeated every day life at the end of the first war before the Potter's had finally managed to stop him. Even if his 'death' wasn't as permanent as everyone assumed.

It was decided that they needed to tell someone, they were too young to even guess how to stop Voldemort. The next day they met outside Professor Flitwick's office and confessed all the diminutive man.

The emotions were easy to read on the professor's face. They could tell he believed them, as a teacher he must have been told about the stone being in the school but you could see his fear at hearing just how close to the school Voldemort was, especially when Harry revealed Firenze's rescue.

After a thorough questioning, they were eventually sent on their way after Flitwick had promised to inform Dumbledore and check on the stone's protections and reinforce them if necessary.

After that the stone was the last thing on their minds as the exams were finally upon them. Hermione was in such a frenzy Harry was only a step away from secretly dosing her with dreamless sleep, just to make sure she got at least one full night.

By the time the exams were over Harry and Neville had made a pact that next year Hermione was to be avoided at all costs, it would be better for everyone's health that way.

***

None of them thought about the stone or Voldemort again until about a week before the end of term. The first year trio were lounging by the lake enjoying the view for one of the last times before boarding the train home.

Harry gasped at the sharp pain zinging through his scar, his eyes watering as he clapped a hand to his forehead.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Hermione's voice managed to penetrate the daze he had fallen into while he tried to move past the burning agony.

"Scar." Harry managed to grit out through clenched teeth. "Voldemort. Something is going on."

"You-Know-Who? His insider must have got past whatever was protecting the stone." Neville whispered, looking round as though he expected Voldemort to leap out at them shouting 'boo'.

"We have to tell a teacher." Hermione insisted. "They have to be able to do something."

"They won't believe us a second time, Mione." Harry said, wiping his watering eyes, the pain finally passing. "McGonagall was suspicious enough that we knew about the stone at all. If we say we think Voldemort is getting close or maybe already has it, they're just gonna ask us how we know. What are we going to say?"

"He's right, Mione. They're not gonna believe us just because Harry's scar was hurting."

They boys could see Hermione wanted to disagree but even she couldn't deny that the teachers wouldn't do anything without evidence, not after finding nothing amiss last time.

"We'll have to check on it ourselves."

"W… What? Harry…" Neville stuttered, already terrified over just the suggestion. Hermione bit her lip and looked indecisive.

"We're not going to confront him. We'll just go check. If everything is fine we won't say anything but if it's not then we have proof to alert the teachers with."

Hermione still looked unsure but nodded her agreement while Neville was looking almost as pale as Malfoy.

"Don't worry, Neville." Harry said with a soft smile for his friend. "You're not coming, Cedric is. Your job is to tell someone where we went if we're not at breakfast tomorrow morning."

***

That night Harry was able to use James' invisibility cloak for the first time. He had a soft smile on his face as he thought of his biological father and all the pranks he apparently pulled during his years at Hogwarts. Would he be proud his son was about to get one over on the teachers?

It was easy enough to get past the hellhound. As long as they stayed under the cloak all they had to do was disguise their scent, a charm that was simple enough as long as you knew it, which thankfully Cedric did or they might have been screwed before they even got started. The devil's snare was equally simple. They hadn't even needed to conjure fire as they were able to get away from it before the plant got a good grip on them.

The key room was possibly the easiest challenge they faced, even if Harry had to wait till second year to take the starting position, he was still one of the best players Hogwarts had seen in years. Harry could secretly admit he'd been having fun even if it was completely inappropriate. Just as they were about to close the door behind them Harry decided they should take the three brooms with them. They didn't know if they'd need to beat a hasty retreat and even those battered old brooms were better than running.

Harry could tell Cedric had enjoyed himself as well, standing on the platform off to the side, directing chess pieces like a general directs his troops. Even Hermione who wasn't a fan of chess could admit it had been fascinating to watch.

All three of them where thankful that the troll had already been taken care of, neither Harry nor Hermione relished the thought of tangling with one of them again. It was clear the troll had been knocked out by a blow to the head though how it hadn't been knocked out weeks ago by its own smell was beyond them.

Hermione had found her moment to shine when they came upon the logic puzzle. Though either Harry or Cedric could have probably figured it out and just as fast, they'd already had their fun and decided to let Hermione complete a task on her own.

"It's this one." She announced holding up the smallest bottle, there was barely enough left in it for one swallow. She then held up the rounded bottle from the right end of the potions line up. "This one will get us back through the purple flames."

"Cedric should go through forward." Harry decided, taking the rounded bottle. "You're only a third year but you've still gotta a better chance than us. You at least know how to disarm."

Cedric nodded and took the small bottle from Hermione.

"You two fly back. Meet me in the room with the devil's snare."

The two first years nodded their heads and each took a swallow from the bottle before handing it back to Cedric and passing through the flames. They mounted the brooms and flew back the way they came, Harry could feel his older brother's eyes on him watching until he turned a corner towards the troll's chamber and was out of sight.

They'd barely been in the room a minute when they heard a voice shouting for them to go. The look back down the corridor to see Cedric speeding towards them like another hellhound was on his tail, which it just might have been.

"He was there! _**GO**_!"

Harry's eyes widened and he quickly kicked off from the ground, closely followed by Hermione. With some tricky manoeuvring that obviously cost them precious seconds, they managed to just get passed the three headed dog and out into the third floor corridor before a spell knocked them off the brooms and on to the floor. Harry tried not to cry out as his head hit the floor with a sickening thud. He could already feel something warm and wet matting the hair at him temple.

"That was quite clever. Smashing the bottle so I couldn't follow but did you really think a simple charmed flame could stop me? The Dark Lord's vessel!"

Harry grinned inwardly at his brothers stalling tactics; it was smart to think of it so quickly. He could hear his brother trying to disarm whoever it was that had chased them but clearly the spells weren't meeting their target. Harry jerked as he felt ropes wrap themselves around him, he tried to focus on who was there but the knock to the head had left his vision blurred and his mind a little foggy. All he could make out was a purple turban.

"Quirrell?!" He gasped, unable to hold in his exclamation of surprise, who the hell would have guessed it was Quirrell? The man in question smirked, almost as though he could tell what Harry was thinking. Actually he probably could.

"Yes, who'd have suspected poor pathetic Professor Quirrell? Scared of everything, from his students to his shadow. Not a bad disguise really, don't you agree? Now, what to do with you three? I have to get rid of you before anyone realises you're gone and comes looking. Can't blow my cover now can we?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the door leading to the staircases was blown open. Harry rolled his head to try and look; he could just make out the shape of two people. One with a long white beard and the other dressed all in black. Dumbledore and Snape, Harry gave an inward cheer that someone had come to bail them out of the mess they'd gotten themselves into. They really hadn't expected anyone to have stuck around once they'd made it to the stone. They'd just wanted to check it was still there.

Harry could feel the darkness creeping up on him and he could barely feel it as he, Hermione and Cedric were summoned to behind their rescue party and released from their binds. He couldn't even focus the duel going on between Dumbledore and Quirrell and he scarcely flinched at Quirrell's piercing scream as something ghostlike and hideous was forced out of the teacher's body.

Harry wasn't the only one with concussion. Only Cedric had enough experience on a broomstick to know to roll with the fall as he hit the ground and therefore avoid any serious injury. Though Hermione was in a better state than Harry, having only hit the back of her head as opposed to her temple.

Harry's last thoughts before the darkness completely dragged him under were; they really weren't protecting the stone very well if three students had managed to get to it, followed by who the hell was carrying him?

***

Harry woke the next day to find his parents and brother anxiously awaiting his return to consciousness. As Madam Pomfrey gave him a quick check over before releasing him, Harry couldn't help but wish he was still asleep. His mum was going to kill him for the stunt he'd pulled going after the stone. Dumbledore had shown up briefly to let them know that the stone had been destroyed and to award him and his brother fifty points each for delaying Quirrell long enough for the headmaster to get there. He'd also reluctantly informed them that Quirrell had in fact been possessed by Voldemort and had died when Voldemort had released his body.

Harry and Cedric would have laughed at the talking to Mary had given the headmaster if they hadn't know they were next in line. The doors had only just closed behind Dumbledore when she rounded on them.

"Just what were you two thinking? You could have been killed! You **would** have been killed had the headmaster not turned up when he did! Just what do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Sorry, mum." The two brothers intoned together, eyes lowered in shame.

"In our defence," Cedric continued, despite his mother's death glare. It could beat Snape's any day. "We were expecting it to be a student. Working for Voldemort, I admit, but not the Dark Lord himself."

"Also," Harry couldn't help but add. "We hadn't actually expected _anyone_ to be there. If it was me and have grabbed the stone and ran. We were just checking the stone was still there, we weren't trying to be heroes. I promise."

Mary took a deep breath and grabbed her husband's hand.

"If you two do _anything_ like this _ever_ again, I will wrap you both in cotton wool and never let you leave the house again, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, mum." The boys responded dutifully, trying not to grin.

***

According to HP Lexicon, Fluffy was a hellhound so he's staying a hellhound.

Sorry if this feels kinda rushed, I didn't really wanna just type up the first three books so I've skipped almost everything that stayed canon, so sorry if it doesn't flow as well as it could.

My plot doesn't kick in really until year four but the stupid things Harry did in canon bugged me so I wanted to rewrite his earlier Hogwarts years at least a little and give him a bit more sense.

The next chapter will be shorter than this as less will deviate from canon and it will probably be out faster if my comp doesn't die.

This is completed unbeta'd so please be kind and forgive the little mistakes. If they are big mistakes drop me a review and let me know. I'll make sure I fix it.

Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think so I know whether or not I should keep going.

Hugs for everyone who reviews!

Hanna xoxo


	3. Chapter Two

_**Chapter Two**_

"Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts." That's what the house elf had said. Bad things were going to happen at Hogwarts. Harry cursed himself for taking the elf even a little bit seriously. It was probably someone's idea of a joke. It was twenty to eleven and Harry was already settled onto the Hogwarts Express, waiting in a compartment for his friends.

Cedric looked over at his little brother and frowned at the frustrated looked on his face. "Come on, Harry!" Cedric burst out, unable to stop himself. "What's wrong? You've been off for a few days now. What's going on?"

Harry sighed and looked at his brother. He knew he shouldn't keep this to himself. If someone was playing a prank on him he should let someone know in case they took it too far. "A house elf appeared in my room a few days ago."

Cedric blinked; clearly he hadn't been expecting that. "And I'm guessing it wasn't one of our elves?" He thought he already knew the answer, Harry wouldn't be this out of sorts if it were a house elf he was familiar with, but he needed to be sure.

"Nope." Harry said, popping his 'p'. "It said its name was Dobby and, God Ced, it was sick. He was saying that he gets death threats and he was covered in bruises. It was horrible. I felt so bad for him."

"Harry," Cedric sighed, moving to sit next to his brother and putting his arm around the twelve year old. "I know some house elves have it rough, and it's sad when they're treated badly but most of them have good lives and they need to be tied to families, they feed of the family's magic."

Harry sighed this time, a noise of pure frustration. "I know, I know, they like their lives. Doesn't mean I can't feel bad for and try to help the ones that _are_ mistreated."

"You should always try to help someone you think is being treated unfairly, no matter the situation. Now what did the house elf say that has you so ruffled?"

"It said bad things were happening, that I shouldn't go back-"

"Harry Potter _should not_ go back to Hogwarts!"

Harry and Cedric were startled so badly they almost fell out of their seats as a loud and squeaky voice filled the compartment followed by a rather load 'CRACK'.

"Cedric, meet Dobby." Harry said, indicating the filthy creature that had just appeared in front of them. "Dobby this is my brother Cedric and my name isn't Potter anymore."

"Dobby is pleased to meet Harry Potter's brother." The elf bowed as he said this and Harry rolled his eyes. "Harry Potter's brother can stop Harry Potter going to Hogwarts."

"Why can't Harry go to Hogwarts, Dobby?" Cedric asked in his softest voice, not wanting to scare the little elf. Dobby's eyes went wide and he started to tremble, obviously he wasn't supposed to talk about what he knew. Probably the only reason he could even try was because it hadn't been a direct instruction. All house elves were under a general rule not to tell other people family secrets and while this seemed like a sound rule to have in place it didn't really work very well considering all pureblood families were interrelated in some way or another. The more immediate the family connection, the easier it was to get the information out of an elf.

Of course most purebloods didn't know this. Most of them considered house elves so far beneath them that they wouldn't even think to ask a house elf if they needed anything beyond house hold duties. Luckily, Harry knew better. He knew what it was like to be looked down upon, what it was like to be considered worthless and treated everyone he came across respectfully. That was why he was a favourite of the Diggory and Hogwarts elves.

"B- bad thi- things." Dobby managed to choke out. "Bad things is happening. His- history is re-repeating."

"History is repeating?" Harry asked, highly confused. "Whatever's coming? It's happened before?"

Dobby made a strangled sounded but managed a jerky nodded, as though physically fighting with his self to do so, before he disappeared with another loud 'crack'. Harry sat and thought about what little the elf had told them, unconsciously leaning further into the arm Cedric still had wrapped around his shoulders.

"If he's telling the truth," Harry started, looking up at the older boy who looked just as confused and uncertain as he felt. "And this isn't some elaborate and rather unfunny joke, it can't be that bad can it? Hogwarts is still considered the safest place in the world, surely it wouldn't be if something truly terrible had happened there."

"Hogwarts is considered so safe because of the wards." Cedric answered slowly, still thinking over what Dobby had said and trying to remember ever hearing of what could have happened first time round. "No one can enter the grounds with out permission. But it's still a magic school. A couple of hundred untrained magical children, accidents happen and sometimes people are still hurt, especially during Quidditch. If something horrible happened it could easily have been taken for an accident. Besides," He added, brightening as he pulled himself out of his reverie. "Nothing has happened yet and we don't even know if the elf was serious. Like you said, it could just be some tasteless joke from someone with no sense of humour. Plus, there's nothing we can do now so put it out of your mind. It's up to mum and dad whether or not we go to school and if something does happen we can tell someone what Dobby said. Okay?"

"Okay." Harry agreed, seeing his brothers reasoning. There really was nothing they could do, their parents weren't going to pull them out of school over a warning from a house elf who may or may not have been ordered to give them the warning in the first place.

In the following weeks Harry was a lot more cheerful since he had shared Dobby's ominous warning with someone. He hadn't realised just how much it had been weighing him down on the run up to school. He wasn't completely back to himself until mid-September when he was finally able to assure himself that the house elf was lying after almost three weeks with no disasters. In fact by the end of September Harry and Cedric had completely forgotten ever meeting the little elf that came with dire warnings.

Even when things started to go wrong at Hogwarts, Harry didn't remember Dobby, which was probably unwise but couldn't be helped.

It was as Harry, Hermione and Luna, a first year they had befriended, were heading back to the common room that Harry had first heard the snake's voice. It had taken Harry a while to be able to tell the difference between when he was hearing real English and when he was hearing a snake but once you had realised the undertone of hissing was there, you never missed it again.

Despite the rather threatening things the snake was saying, Harry hadn't paid it much attention. They weren't uncommon things for a snake to hiss while it was looking for pray. Harry remembered the first time he had heard such things from a grass snake that was passing him in the garden, he still blushed as he thought about they way he had screamed like a little girl. In all fairness he had only been eight but it was still rather embarrassing as far as Harry was concerned.

So Harry had ignored the voice inside the walls, assuming it was a loose familiar looking for its dinner.

It was the next day at breakfast when Harry realised how much of a mistake that might have been.

"Did you hear?" Padma asked excitedly, Harry and Hermione shared a look. Padma Patil was the resident gossip of the Eagle's Nest; having a twin in Gryffindor, friends in Hufflepuff and a contact in Slytherin meant she had ready access to the gossip in every house. Well any gossip that will be talked about in front of twelve and thirteen year olds, she hadn't quite reached the level for pregnancy scares and relationship scandals yet. Give her till fourth year. "Filch's cat was attacked!" That got Harry and Hermione's attention. That damn cat was a pain in the bum to any nighttime wanderer but Mrs Norris was only doing her job. As annoying as she was, who would actually hurt her?

"Do we know who did it?" Hermione inquired; interested for once because this wasn't gossip and speculation, this had to have been fact. One look at Filch's blotchy face confirmed that.

"No," Padma replied in a sufficiently dramatic voice, pleased to have someone new to tell. "But whoever did it left a message on the wall though. It said '_the Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware_'. It's still there, apparently Filch spent all last night trying to scrub it off but it wouldn't budge."

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Hermione repeated, her brow furrowing. "But that's just a legend according to '_Hogwarts; A History'_."

Padma just shrugged. "There's no smoke without fire and the story of the Chamber is as old as Hogwarts itself. You never know."

Harry wasn't as familiar with the story as Hermione; his go to Hogwarts guide was '_Hogwarts: Marauder's Secrets_' which only covered what a student might come across in their everyday lives. It didn't really touch on the history of the castle. "That's Slytherin's legend isn't it?" Harry clarified, not 100% sure of himself. "Saying that Old Sal built a hidden room under the school with a monster that only his heir could control…"

Harry's voice trailed off as everything clicked into place and the metaphorical light bulb went off over his head. Only Slytherins heir could control the monster, Slytherin's line had the gift of Parseltongue, the snake Harry had heard the night before. Harry's eyes widened, the monster was real and it was travelling through the walls.

Hermione gave her friend a worried look, noticing how pale he had gotten. "Harry, are you okay?"

"We need to go see Flitwick." He told her instead of answering, standing up before she even had chance to comprehend what he'd said. Harry was already stood in front of their head of house when Hermione caught up. She arrived just in time to her what Harry had to say to the half-goblin professor.

"I know what Slytherin's monster is."

Every teacher within hearing distance had a different reaction to Harry's words. Flitwick looked surprised but willing to hear his student out, Snape just called him a moron and told him to sit back down while McGonagall just insisted the monster didn't exist. However it was Dumbledore's reaction that got Harry's attention. He just nodded sagely like he'd expected Harry to know all along. Harry was half tempted to kick the aging headmaster.

He had never really known what to make of Dumbledore. It was obvious the man cared about his student, cared deeply about the young lives in his school but Harry didn't like where the students stood on the man's list of priorities. Care about them he may but every single student in the castle was cannon fodder for the '_greater good_' as far as Dumbledore was concerned. He'd proved this last year when he agreed to house the Philosopher's stone despite the fact it would put all the children in the castle at risk.

Harry remembered when he was eight years old and he'd met Dumbledore for the first time. The first thing he had thought was that he'd never seen a man so _old_. How the Hell could he even be alive? Of course at eight, even with his curiosity and childish lack of tact, he'd still been too intimidated by strangers to ask such a question.

Harry's opinion of the man had been rather neutral during the small talk and pleasantries but the first words out of Dumbledore's mouth when he finally got down to business had incited instant hatred in Harry and Cedric, who had known who Dumbledore was but never met him. He'd insisted Harry go back to his relatives.

For a split second Harry had been terrified his new parents would agree and he'd have to go back to his cupboard, never seeing his big brother again. Fortunately, Mary and Amos were having none of it. They flat out refused and Dumbledore could do nothing to force them into handing their youngest song over.

He'd even tried to go to the ministry so they could force Harry back into the custody of the Dursley's but even if Uncle Cornelius had wanted to send Harry back to that magic-hating household there was nothing even he could do. The paperwork had been finalised and legal for well over a year and Dumbledore's hand were tied. Even then, Harry hadn't liked the looks the old man gave him and he didn't like them now.

Within half and hour Harry and Hermione were firmly ensconced in Dumbledore's office with half the teaching staff, the young Ravenclaw explaining how he'd come to the conclusion that Slytherin's monster was some sort of snake. Even Snape could refute Harry's logic and agreed that he was probably right. Both Dumbledore and Lockhart said that they'd suspected all along that Salazar would have used some kind of snake; Harry didn't believe them for a moment.

The only question that remained was what kind of snake could live for more than a thousand years and was capable of petrifaction? Harry didn't know, he was hardly an expert on snakes, magical or muggle, even Snape didn't know what kind of creature they were dealing with.

In the end the students had been told to put it out of their minds, there was nothing that could be done without more information, and to report it immediately should Harry hear the snake again. Harry had also been instructed to tell as few people as possible about being a Parselmouth, the students were already unnerved and if they discovered Harry possessed a gift believed to be dark suspicion would instantly fall on him. For one Harry agreed with the headmaster.

Before Harry knew it, it was mid-December and his first ever Quidditch match. Despite the hour Harry had spent convinced he was about to humiliate himself, the first hour of the game had passed relatively easily.

It was the second half of the game that had given Harry reason to never play another match. A rogue bludger had been charmed to target only Harry. That's what he'd had to put up with. In a series of move he could barely recall, Harry had managed to catch the snitch in spite of the broken arm the bludger had left him with.

The real challenge had been trying to take the idiot Lockhart out of trying to fix the arm himself. Harry had only just managed it saying he knew that some healing spells could go wrong very easily and God forbid something should go wrong when, knowing Mary Diggory, there was going to be some sort of inquest into the jinxed Quidditch ball. Lockhart would have been in a lot of trouble if it had been found out that he'd used medical magic when he wasn't a certified healer.

Harry had been right as well. The Diggory's had called for a full investigation of how such a magical item, like a bludger, had been cursed to only target a specific person. It was only when Harry had been inform that traces of house elf magic had been found that he remembered Dobby and his warnings.

Harry and Cedric had instantly confessed almost everything they knew. They left out Dobby's name though, not wanting to make thinks worse for the elf should his family find out that he'd warned Harry, especially now as his warnings were coming to be.

However much to the brothers' frustration, they were once again told to put it out of their mind. Nothing could be done on the information they had. The boys knew it was true but that didn't stop it being annoying to hear.

No matter Dumbledore's warning, which he had fully been intending to heed, Harry had been forced to reveal that he was a Parselmouth during the farce of a duelling club sent up by Lockhart. Even when he'd seen the snake, Harry had been intending to keep his mouth shut but after fraud had managed to piss it off enough for it to go for a student, Harry knew he had to step in.

He'd seen the fear and shock on people's faces as soon as they realised what he was doing. It wasn't Harry's fault that the majority of the student body decided to believe he'd been goading the snake on. Even if he had want Justin Finch-Fletchy attached, did they really think he was stupid enough to do it in front of a hall full of people? He was a Ravenclaw! For Merlin's sake! He wasn't that stupid.

It certainly didn't help that the stupid Hufflepuff and the Gryffindor ghost had to go and get their selves petrified only a few days later. Harry was certain the heir, whoever it was, had set that one up on purpose. Telling the snake to go for Justin just to make things harder on Harry. The young Claw was just thankful his friends believed him. The rest of the school could go to Hell as far as he was concerned; he still had Hermione, Neville and Luna, not to mention Cedric and the twins. They made everything bearable.

Speaking of Weasley's, Harry was almost thankful for Valentine's Day. As ridiculous and embarrassing as the day was, at least it was drama that had nothing to do with the recent attacks and who everyone thought Harry would target next. He sort of felt sorry for Ginny; she'd obviously grown up on stories of the Boy-Who-Lived and had developed a bit of an infatuation. He probably should have shown a bit more tact in the face of her singing valentine but it had been so absurd Harry couldn't help the fit of giggles he'd burst into, it wasn't his fault she'd been walking past him in the corridor when he'd got the bloody thing. And Hermione really wasn't one to talk, she'd laughed just as hard.

Unfortunately, Harry's light-hearted mood had only lasted until the next attack, though Harry would have been a bit worried if he'd managed to maintain his cheerfulness when another student was now lying in the hospital wing. Towards the end of April Penelope Clearwater, a sixth year Ravenclaw who'd been known to help lower years with their homework in the common room, had been attacked while the rest of the school had been making their way down to the Quidditch pitch for the Ravenclaw/Gryffindor match.

Things had happened quickly after that. Within days of Penny's attack, Dumbledore had been removed as headmaster due to the fact he obviously couldn't keep his students safe. If that was the real then why in Merlin's name had they appointed McGonagall headmistress for the rest of the year? She's been there the whole time and obviously wasn't having any better luck than Dumbledore. It was also rumoured that the reason the gamekeeper, Hagrid, was missing was because he'd been arrested.

Apparently Hagrid had opened the Chamber in his third year. If that was true Harry would be leaving Hogwarts forever. It obviously wasn't that great of a school if Hagrid the gentle yet still intimidating giant could figure out the location to an ancient chamber when Dumbledore, the greatest wizard alive, had failed multiple times.

It was a week after that another message was left on the wall. Directly under the first one left all those months ago on Halloween.

'_Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever_'

It had been haunting to read it and Ron Weasley had done nothing to help Harry's state of mind. It had been his little sister that had been taken and he'd decided it was Harry's fault. At least he didn't think Harry had done it.

According to Ron, Ginny had gone looking for the monster in an effort to impress Harry. He'd highly doubted that but his doubts had done nothing to assuage Harry's feelings of guilt and helplessness. In the end, he'd taken refuge in Myrtle's bathroom, dragging Hermione, Neville and Luna with him.

They'd barely been there a moment when Myrtle herself popped out to see who was there. It seemed that someone had been coming in and hissing but they were always gone by the time Myrtle got there.

"Hissing?" Harry asked, completely baffled.

The ghost nodded sadly. "I've heard the noise before." She whispered dramatically, her eyes exceptionally wide behind her ghostly lenses. "I heard it right before I died."

The pieces started to fit together but Harry needed a little more information to finish the puzzle completely. "And what did you see Myrtle, right before you died?"

"A great big yellow eye, right over there." She pointed to the sinks and Harry immediately walked over to them. He ran his hands over the taps and froze when he felt something scratched into the side of one of them. It was an engraved snake.

The entrance was here. And it only responded to Parseltongue. But what kind of snake waited inside. It was a suicide mission to go in blind.

Harry was at a loss. The snake had killed Myrtle but only petrified everyone else. Did its power weaken with age? No, it couldn't if it was still strong enough to affect Nearly Headless Nick. But Nick was already dead so it couldn't kill him, he was only petrified and what if Justin had only seen the snake _through_ Nick so he was petrified instead of dying like Myrtle had.

Harry couldn't be sure and he didn't know the circumstances of the other attacks to confirm it but it was the only theory he had. That narrowed things down, what else did he have to go on? Had anything else weird been going on? For the first time in his life Harry wished he listen to the gossip that went round the school. The only thing he knew of were the roosters that had turned up dead. It might be completed unrelated but probably not.

That narrowed it down even more. What snakes could live for hundreds of years, could kill by looking at you and didn't like roosters? Even after a few minutes the only answer he could come up with was…

"A basilisk."

Two hours later, Harry was stood at the entrance to the Chamber again. This time Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Lockhart accompanied him. Merlin knew what that over bleached moron was doing there but there he was. He'd just used Parseltongue to open the doorway when it dawned that Harry was the only Parselmouth and would probably be needed to open more doors and such along the way.

Harry was then given a ten-minute lecture telling him to stay out of the fray and leave anything dangerous to the teachers. He had to grit his teeth to stop himself yelling. They were wasting time! Ginny might be dead! By the time they entered the main cavern, Harry was ready to kick someone.

He could see Ginny at the other end of the room and only Snape's hand on his shoulder stopped him from running to her much to his frustration. Though this turned out to be a blessing in disguise when the basilisk came charging out of what Harry had assumed was an alcove but was actually a side tunnel.

Snape, who'd been expecting something like that, managed to shoot of a blinding hex but not before Lockhart crumpled to the floor dead. The spell Snape used had been dark but even McGonagall couldn't deny that it was needed; though she need cringe at the creatures agonizes shrieking as the spell melted its eyes.

Harry lost track of what happened after that. Even blind, the basilisk was still something to be wary of and the teachers had their hands full. Harry ended up crouched next to Ginny, trying in vain to wake her.

"She can't hear you." Said a soft voice to the left. Harry looked and couldn't stop his jaw from dropping at the sight of the handsome boy in front of him. He was only about sixteen and looked striking in his finely pressed Slytherin robes. _This_ was the person who'd opened the Chamber?

"You brought her here?" Harry asked, wanting to verify before he accused.

"She brought herself." He said factually before admitting. "But only because I told her to. If she'd have been in her right mind, I doubt she'd have been as willing."

"You're controlling her?" The Slytherin nodded. "How?"

"The diary." The boy said, indicating the little black book in Ginny's arms. "She's been writing in it since the summer. Writing to me."

"She gave you access." Harry realised. "She opened up her soul just enough for you to slither out of the diary and into her."

The boy nodded, a look of pride on his face. Though whether he was proud of Harry for figuring it out or of himself for coming up with it in the first place was a mystery.

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked warily, wondering what the boy was planning.

"Because I want you to join me, Harrison." He wasn't even the slightest bit surprised that the boy knew his name. "I want you to stand at my side, while I conquer the world."

Harry's eyes went wide. That was the last thing he'd been expecting. It hadn't even crossed his mind that the boy might _want_ him.

"But… but…" Harry stuttered, completely out of his depth. "You _hurt _people. I could never do that. Never."

The boy was about to speak again but was interrupted by a high pitched shriek. They both turned sharply, just in time to see the giant snake take its last breath, bleeding heavily from several deep gashes up and down its back and sides. The Slytherin screamed in grief, obviously very attached to the snake. During his moment of distraction, Harry ripped the diary out of Ginny's limp grasp, throwing it in the direction of the teachers.

"Destroy it." He shouted. "Or Ginny dies."

The teachers froze at his words, all except Snape who instantly level his wand at the diary the moment it landed.

"_Fiendfyre._" He hissed. The diary immediately burst into flames.

Harry almost jumped out of his skin as the boy next to him let out an ear-splitting scream and feel to his knees. Harry dropped down next to him, devastated that he had caused the death of another person, even if it was a person who'd tried to sacrifice Ginny's life to save his own. Harry never wanted to make that choice again. The only reason he'd made it in the first place was because he knew the boy wouldn't have stopped at Ginny. This boy wanted to rule the world and he'd have killed anyone who got in his way.

"You said you couldn't hurt anyone." The boy whispered, agony lacing his every word. "But you've hurt me."

Harry sobbed, those words cutting at his heart like a knife. "I'm sorry." He cried. "I'm so sorry."

"Tom." The boy said out of the blue. "My name is Tom."

"I'm so sorry, Tom, I'm sorry." Harry's eyes, which were squeezed tight in sorrow, flew wide open as he felt Tom's lips brush gently over his own.

"You're forgiven."

Harry couldn't have even tried to resist as Tom lurched and his lips over Harry's own. They were so gentle and insistent that he couldn't help but surrender and open his mouth to that probing tongue.

Tom pulled back just as Harry's lungs started to burn. He gave the younger boy one last sad smile before disappearing in flash of light. Harry only had chance to release one more choked sob before darkness claimed him.

It took three days for Harry to wake, as he later found out from a rather frantic Hermione, and the first thing he saw was a pair of golden half moon spectacle and a long white bread. The talk with Dumbledore about what had gone on in the Chamber was probably the most awkward conversation Harry had ever had, even worse than the sex talk with his father. This was a teacher! And _old_ teacher! Harry must have shuddered at least three times.

But even Harry's mortification couldn't detract from his guilt over what he'd done to Tom. Dumbledore had tried to reassure him. Telling him who Tom had grown up to be but it didn't help. Harry had taken a life, sort of, and he felt horrible, it didn't matter whose life it was. He had no right to take it.

His interest was peaked however when Lucius Malfoy walked into the hospital wing, accompanied by none of than Dobby. Harry knew better that to say anything but it broke his heart to see the amount of distain Lucius regarded his servant with.

"Harry." The headmaster said quietly as they watched Malfoy Senior walk away. "Did you know house elves are fascinating creatures but so underestimated? There are books upon books in the library full of house elf lore but very few people bother to read it. You might find it interesting."

Harry ginned at the headmaster for the first time. He was definitely going to be having a look at those books. Or he'd ask Hermione to, at least.

They still had a month or two left of term and Harry spent them quiet and withdrawn. He felt nothing for Tom but the guilt was still eating him alive. It took him until the day of the train ride home to come to terms with what he had done and what he'd seen done to Lockhart but even though he'd gotten over that hurdle, there was still one left to face and he needed Hermione to do it.

The second they got onto the train he commandeered a compartment and asked her for a private word.

"Harry, what's wrong?" She asked as soon as the door was closed behind her. "You've been acting strange since you got out of the hospital wing."

Harry sat down with a sigh as he began to spill everything. His horror over watching Lockhart die, guilt over killing Tom and his confusion over the kiss. "I liked it." He whispered almost shamefully, flinching when Hermione gasped. "Not who it was." He hastened to reassure just in case. "But the kiss itself was nice. He was gentle and his lips were soft and…"He broke off and blushed a rather beautiful apple red.

Hermione smiled and moved onto the seat next to her closest friend, taking his hand and cradling it in both of hers. "What else is it, Harry? It's okay to enjoy a kiss so what else has you so worried?"

Harry looked at her with wide, terrified eyes. Silently begging that she not reject him over this. It took all Hermione's willpower not to burst into tears then and there. "I liked that it was boy." He admitted, bringing his shoulders up defensively as though he expected to be hit.

Hermione cursed herself for not asking him these questions earlier. Cedric had told her that when Harry was really feeling out of sorts and unsure he still reverted to the scared little boy he'd been all those years ago at the zoo. "Oh, Harry." She threw her arms around her best friend and pulled him close. "It's okay to like boys and its okay to be confused. I think, at this age, we're supposed to be confused. This is the sort of thing we'll figure out as well get older. Don't worry yourself over it now, okay?"

She cupped his cheeks and forced him to look at her properly so, if he didn't want to believe her words, he could read the truth in her eye. Harry examined her closely for a long minute before breaking into one of the most beautiful smiles Hermione had ever seen.

"Okay." He whispered and pulled her close, giving Hermione a grateful hug. She almost fell off the seat when she felt him tense in her arms. "Oh my Godric." She heard him mumble.

"What?!" She demanded pulling back.

"My first kiss was with Lord Voldemort."


	4. Chapter Three

_**Chapter Three**_

"I'm so sorry for the interruption, Amos." Cornelius said as he entered the living room, fiddling with the bowler hat in his hands. Harry could immediately tell something was wrong. Uncle Cornelius had never looked that nervous in their house before. Even when he was telling them about the pressure Dumbledore was putting on the ministry to reverse the adoption. "I really had wanted to wait until after Harry's birthday for this but the papers have caught wind and I felt it best to tell you myself."

"Tell us what, Cornelius?" Mary asked, obviously picking up on the man's tension. She could see him steeling himself, preparing to give them some horrible news. "Should I send the kids out?"

"No, they need to hear this so we can decide what to do." He took a deep breath and looked at the family of four. He really hadn't wanted to do this to Harry; he'd wanted this cleared up before word got out. He'd wanted to spare the boy the anxiety. "Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban."

Mary gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth while Amos's face drained of all colour. Cedric's eyes widened as he instinctively pulled his little brother closer to him. Harry just looked unsure. He knew who Sirius Black was, his mum had made sure he knew before he went to Hogwarts not wanting to risk Harry hearing from anyone else, but would he really come after him?

In a month's time he was going to be safe behind the castle walls, surely Black didn't think he'd be able to reach Harry there. Then again, he did break out of Azkaban of all places, Hogwarts might be a breeze compared to that. Azkaban was on an Island and everything. Maybe he'd try and find Voldemort, the Dark Lord was at least somewhat alive somewhere.

"What's being done, Cornelius?" Mary asked breathlessly, the terror she felt for her son causing her chest to ache.

"We are doing everything we are physically able to do." He reassured, Sirius Black was notorious. He was known throughout the entire magical community, he wouldn't be able to hide for long. "We have every Auror on high alert and conducting regular patrols. We've even alerted the Muggles, in case he tries hiding out there. He'll be caught that much faster if he does though. I've never known a Black to willing step into the muggle world, add his time in prison to that and he'll stick out like a sore thumb. His ignorance will get him noticed."

"What about Harry?" Cedric wanted to know what the ministry were doing to keep his little brother safe, not _just_ find the madman that was threatening him. "What's being done to keep him safe?"

Cornelius sighed heavily. "For now, I suggest he stay on these grounds as much as possible. If you need to go out, floo the Auror office and we'll send escorts. And that applies to all of you, not just Harry. If Black has managed to get wind of Harry's adoption, you will all be in danger. We've got his old relatives home staked out, in case he goes there trying to find him."

"What about at Hogwarts?" Harry's soft and slightly scared voice made the adults jump. They'd been so wrapped up in the conversation and he'd been so quite they'd almost forgotten he was there. "He managed to get past heavy wards once. He might do it again."

The minister rubbed his hands over his tired face. What he had to say next was almost as bad as his original news; he cringed just imagining what Mary's reaction was going to be. His heart went out to the family of four; this was going to be a difficult year for them. He remembered when he'd first really met Amos Diggory, the man had been trying for three days to get a meeting with him but Cornelius just hadn't had the time and also hadn't really expected Amos to have anything important to say. He'd only just become minister and was working his socks off, trying to give the public a good impression.

The determined man had eventually given up trying to get a meeting and just cornered him in the elevator, whispering seven words that almost gave Cornelius coronary failure. "Something bad has happened to Harry Potter." Amos had instantly been led to the minister's office and every silencing ward each of them knew was put in place.

He'd been furious went he heard how the Muggles had treated the child that had saved them and even angrier at Dumbledore for allowing it to happen. The ministry hadn't had anything to do with the placement of the newly orphaned Harry, they'd trusted Dumbledore's word that he was with family and he'd be cared for. The man hadn't even gone back to check!

Cornelius had made sure the adoption was airtight and kept as quiet as possible. He's also done what Dumbledore should have done all along and kept in touch with the family so he could see for himself Harry was safe, happy and healthy. Eventually he'd become something of an uncle to both boys and they called him such. He'd pop round with his wife Elisabeth whenever he had an afternoon free and just spend time with the boys, teaching them a little about politics, how the ministry worked and how the community was run.

He even sent gifts at birthdays and Christmas that was if he couldn't get there to give them out personally. He'd already put aside two extra tickets for the World Cup next year. It wasn't common knowledge yet but the Cup Final was being held in England for the first time in almost seventy years and Cornelius fully intended to make sure his favourite boys had prime seats. Construction on the stadium was even starting next week; the boys would be so excited when they found out.

"The ministry has very little influence at Hogwarts I'm afraid and Dumbledore is pushing to have dementors placed at every entrance to the grounds." He cringed as he braced himself for Mary's explosion. He wasn't disappointed.

"You can't be serious!" She raged like a mamma bear protecting her cubs. "What of the children that still have memories of the war? Forced to relive that every time they stray too close to the edge of the grounds! And what about Harry and Neville? They'll go catatonic under the weight of those memories!"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked curiously. He knew what dementors were and how they fed but why would they affect him and Neville more than others?

"Dementors feed on your happiness and in doing so force you to relive your worst memory, Harry." It was Mary's turn to mentally prepare herself, she really didn't want to have to say this. "Do you remember those nightmares you used to have about the cold laughter and green light?" Cornelius looked horrified as Mary said this but Harry didn't see and just nodded. "They weren't dreams, Harry. That was the night the Potters died."

Harry went pale and clung tighter to his brother. It was one thing to know that his biological parents had been murdered, it was quite another to know he had memories of their deaths knocking around inside his head somewhere.

The conversation ended soon after that but Harry hadn't heard a word except that, if Dumbledore got his way, Cedric, Harry, Neville and Hermione (who would be staying with the Diggory's for the last few days of the holidays) would be sent to Hogwarts by portkey because the dementors would be checking the train about half way there. Harry's heart went out to the other students who would be forced to endure their freezing presence.

The rest of the summer passed quickly with Harry hardly ever leaving the house and on the few occasions he did, never going further than the gardens.

It was three days before school started when Hermione turned up with her school trunk, a new cat and a manic grin. Harry had been instantly terrified. However fear turned to elation when she shouted…

"I found it! I found a way to free Dobby!"

And she really had. What almost no one knew was that the magic that binds a house elf to its master came with a failsafe. If a house elf ended up with a bad master, all it had to do was a find a new and willing master to invoke the loophole. Which Harry did. He basically challenged Lucius Malfoy to prove that he would be a better master without him ever finding out he'd been tested, he'd probably never find out where Dobby went.

Even other house elves couldn't tell him because they simply didn't know. They were so uneducated nowadays that very few even knew their own culture and ways. The house elf magic had read Lucius's feelings concerning his elves and compared them to Harry's. He'd obviously been found lacking seen as how Harry officially became Dobby's master.

He hadn't really known what to do with Dobby once he was there. He'd been so focused on saving the little elf that had tried to help him he hadn't given a thought to what would happen when Dobby was free of the Malfoy family. In the end he'd just been instructed to join the other house elves and take the same orders from Mary and Amos as them.

It was rather sad that he had to take a portkey to Hogwarts, he liked the tradition of riding the train but he really didn't want him or Neville to have to face the dementors. Though he was pleased that it meant he didn't have to be ready to go until half six that evening and they'd still be there first students there.

The next day as they collected their timetables, Harry had to comfort a rather distressed Hermione who had just found out her petition for a time-turner was denied. Dumbledore thought it was unnecessary apparently and had just told her to drop a few classes.

Despite that, Harry and Hermione had a wonderful time experiencing new classes that had been denied to them before as well as DADA, which finally had a competent teacher. Though, regardless of their interest in the subject, after the first week Harry, Hermione and Neville were all seriously considering dropping Care of Magical Creatures.

Hagrid seemed to forget that not everyone had his strength and that the creatures that seemed small to him were huge (and terrifying) to the students. The hippogriffs had been interesting and beautiful but Harry had to admit, they were probably a little young to be so close to such fierce animals. Beyond that however nothing exciting happened until Halloween, much to Harry's surprise. Please note the sarcasm.

Harry could have sworn his heart stopped when he heard the whisper. He was sure it wasn't true. It couldn't be true; too many precautions had been taken. Sirius Black just couldn't have gotten into the school. What good were the dementors if they couldn't keep one many out of the castle!

Harry had spent that night on the floor of the Great Hall firmly ensconced between Hermione, Neville and Cedric. They'd done everything they could think of to take his mind off what was going on but nothing they had done had made Harry laugh as hard as he had listening to Draco Malfoy whine about how 'Malfoys do not sleep on floors! I've never even seen a sleeping bag before. Transfigure me a bed!' It had been rather hysterical watching the normally poised boy try to work the zip on the bag.

However, the fear he felt that night had nothing on the sheer terror that flooded his veins as the dementors flooded the Quidditch pitch. It was the most awaited game of the season, the Hufflepuff Diggory against the Ravenclaw Diggory, both of them seekers. With the attacks the year before the Quidditch cup had been cancelled so no one had been able to see the Diggory brothers compete. The students couldn't wait. But unfortunately they'd had to.

The dementors were terrifying and monstrous. Harry's blood froze as his mind fogged over; all he could hear were screams and his own harsh breathing. He couldn't feel anything through the cold and he was barely aware of what was going on around him when suddenly a blur of yellow came careening out of the wall of black. Harry vaguely thought he heard Cedric's voice before he finally lost consciousness.

Harry was rather annoyed when he found out his _Nimbus 2001_ had been destroyed by the Whomping Willow. That thing was a menace and a danger to the students; it shouldn't even be on the grounds. He'd only had the broom for about a year and a half as well! When his parents had asked him what he wanted for his twelfth birthday he'd asked for a new broom, the best broom that was available and Cedric had to get one too. He'd told his parents to take money out the Potter trust fund if they needed it. He didn't know if they had, he didn't care to ask but that broom had been a birthday present and now it was gone. It looked like he'd have to take his own trip to the Potter vaults if he was going to buy a new one.

At least he hadn't _lost_ the match; they just had to end it early because he almost had his soul sucked out. At least Cedric had managed to catch him as he fell, it could have been much worse if he'd actually hit the ground after a 200-foot fall. The teachers said they were going to shuffle the Quidditch schedule and they'd find out the date of the rematch after the holidays.

Harry spent two weeks, after walking up in the hospital wing, sulking like a child. Hermione was almost at her wits end before his friends finally managed to cheer him up during their first Hogsmeade visit. Though he'd felt horribly sick that night as a result of all the sweets he'd eaten. Honeydukes really was a paradise to anyone with a sweet tooth.

During the holidays, Harry had been struck dumb when he opened one of his Christmas presents and discovered a brand new _Firebolt_. His mouthed had dropped open and he was sure he drooled a bit but he didn't care, it was a bloody _**Firebolt**_. He'd never seen anything so beautiful and now he had to figure out where it came from and how he could get Cedric one. He had no doubts that, once he got his full inheritance, he could buy a dozen _Firebolt_s and barely dent one vault but he only had access to his trust at the moment and it would probably empty it to buy one of those brooms.

He had just been about to mount the broom when his mother started shouting about how he shouldn't ride it and that it could be cursed. Personally, Harry thought she was being a bit silly though he could understand her fear. But surely if the broom was a part of some nefarious trap laid out by Sirius Black, why would he waste all that money on a _Firebolt_ when Harry, who was currently broom-less, would have accepted one that was much cheaper?

Not to mention Black was on the run. Where in the Hell was he going to get that kind of money? He knew the goblins would have no qualms about serving the man, business is business to them, but they were fond of the Potter line and had always been strangely (they were _goblins_) kind to Harry. If Sirius Black had really betrayed the Potters and the goblins had him in their bank, Harry was sure the Auror corps would have been receiving an anonymous tip telling them to head to the Alley.

He'd actually said as much to his parents and while they could see his logic, they were still scared. When they heard Black had actually made it into the castle they had been fraught and they just didn't want to take a chance. It was eventually decided that Amos would take the broom to the ministry and ask the Aurors to look at it, if it was clean then Harry could have it back. Harry almost through a fit at the last bit. In a rare show of teenage rebellion, Harry _demanded_ that if something _was_ wrong with the broom, the Aurors would fix it and he could still have the broom back. Besides, what better way to get one over on Black than by foiling his plans and still having the broom that he paid for?

The rest of the Christmas holidays were a lot of fun and the time home had definitely been needed. Harry didn't realise just how uneasy he had been in the castle until he was home safe. He didn't like knowing Black could get into the castle just as much as his parents had hated the idea. Between the incident with the dementors and Black's attack on Gryffindor tower, it had been decided that Harry was to have an Auror escort once school started up again to walk with him between lessons and meals.

Harry thought it was a little extreme and that was actually a compromise, Mary had wanted to pull her sons out of school altogether until Black was caught. He didn't think he'd have been able to cope with that. As much as he loved his parents and treasured the summer and Christmas holidays, Harry enjoyed the freedom the castle offered.

It wasn't until half way through February that Harry started to come round to his parent's way of thinking. Black had gotten into the castle for the second time and had even managed to make it into a dormitory. But what left people baffled was that it had been the _Gryffindor_ dorm, not the Ravenclaw one.

"Hermione?" Harry asked one day at breakfast about three weeks after the incident. "You keep track of what the papers say about me, don't you?"

"Of course, Harry." She replied instantly. "And you should to. When you start dating the papers will have a field day. You don't want to be caught unawares by any new rumours."

"I know," He said with a shake of his head. They'd had this conversation before and while Harry knew his friend was right, he really didn't want to have to think about that just yet. He was only thirteen; he was still learning how _his_ body worked, let alone anyone else's. "If the press ever get too blood thirsty, I'm hiring a PR person, I don't think I could handle all that myself. But we're getting off topic, I actually asked for a reason. I just wanted to know if my sorting was reported on or if they ever mentioned what house I was in."

"Actually, they have." Hermione told him with a thoughtful frown, obviously realising where he was going with this. "They reported on your sorting and it was mentioned when you first joined the Quidditch team."

"So why is Black going for the Gryffindor dorms?" He finally wondered aloud.

Harry almost laughed at the look on his female friend's face; she'd never looked so confused before. "I honestly don't know. Surely if he was coming after you he'd have learnt all he could. I would."

"Are you planning on coming after me one day, Miss Granger?" Harry joked to lighten the mood. It worked somewhat. It got the frown off Hermione's face but she was clearly still thinking about what he'd pointed out. "Maybe he's just assumed I'd be a Gryffindor like Weasley did on the train. Both the Potters were, after all."

"Maybe." She answered dubiously, her tone indicating she thought that about as likely as Harry did. "Well, if he did think that, he won't anymore. You weren't in the dorm when he got there. If he does try the Ravenclaw dorm next then we'll know he's got his facts straight and is now looking for you in the right place. If not then I think we need to assume it's not you he's after."

"Well…" Harry answered at length, thinking very carefully on what to suggest next. He really did love the conversations like this that he'd have with Hermione; he did the same thing with his mother. "Black and the Potters joined the Order of the Phoenix straight out of school so he'd have had to have joined the Death Eaters before that. Maybe he hid something in the dorms, something he couldn't risk taking with him."

"That's actually possible, Harry." He could see her mind already turning this new idea over, examining it from every angle. "There are hundreds of hidden passages, secret rooms and trick bricks all over the scholastic parts of the castle, why not residential areas. I mean the dormitories are basically hidden rooms themselves. Only the people in those houses know where they are. But then again…" She added, having come up with another point for their impromptu brainstorm session. "We are assuming that Black is thinking rationally which is highly unlikely after twelve years surrounded by dementors and with no one to talk to. For all we know he's seen the articles about what house you're in but because he's so sure you'd be a Gryffindor, he's convinced their lies. He's completely unpredictable because we can't even begin to understand how he thinks now."

"So we're basically wasting our breath speculating about this?"

"Yep." Hermione answered with a wry smile before it turned slightly mischievous. "But it's fun to do."

"This is true." Harry laughed. "Ravenclaws are just gossips that choose more intellectual subjects, aren't they?"

"Yep." She said again.

They actually found out the truth of Black's behaviour two months later when, in a series of events that nobody could have predicted, they ended up in the Shrieking Shack, which wasn't actually haunted, with the man himself.

Harry, Hermione and Neville had been out by the lake enjoying a rather warm evening considering it was only early May and they were in the Scottish Highlands, when they were pulled out of their pleasant conversation by what they had assumed was a female scream. They'd looked over only to see Ron Weasley being dragged towards a still Whomping Willow by what was frankly the largest dog in existence except for the Cerberus they met in first year. Seriously, it was the size of a Shetland pony. Harry probably could have ridden it, it was certain big enough to hold someone Harry's size.

Despite their best attempts, the Diggory's hadn't been able to fix all the damage done to Harry by his muggle relatives. He'd been highly malnourish during his formative years and this had permanently affected his height and figure. They predicted that by the time he finished growing he'd be about 5"7, a little on the short side for a male but not embarrassingly so. As far as Harry was concerned, the embarrassment was already taken care of by his rather delicate build. But then he was gay so Harry figured it was at least somewhat fitting. He'd have hated trying to pull a girl while looking like one.

They'd been unable to reach Ron before he was dragged under the tree and hadn't wanted to risk using magic only to have it enrage the animal further. Most magical creatures were immune to most spells and given the size of the dog, they'd have been amazed it if was a muggle animal. They'd been about to turn round and go for a teacher when the tree froze again, causing them to do the same.

They'd followed Crookshanks bemusedly through the tunnel, all three of them thinking the same thing, _how the in Merlin's name was the damn cat involved?_

Ron had been crying on the bed when they got there and with him not knowing anyone had come for him, didn't warn him or her about the Animagus hiding behind the door. Before they knew what hit them, they'd been disarmed and each caught with a Full Body Bind. They'd been sure they were about to die when Professor Lupin had burst into the room.

Things had gotten even stranger after that. They'd watched in fascination and no small amount of horror as Peter Pettigrew was forced into his human form. Harry screamed as loud as could through his closed lips as he watch two fundamentally good men prepare to kill another human being. He couldn't let them, he couldn't stand by and watch as two people who were apparently important to his dead parents taint their souls in such a way, no matter whether the man had deserved it or not.

Once Pettigrew was bound and gagged, the group had slowly made their way back to Hogwarts. However watching Lupin transform into a wolf had brought back all of the earlier fear for their lives. Pettigrew had also used their distraction to make an attempt to escape, he too transforming. What he hadn't counted on was Moony's sense of smell and the fact that the wolf had considered James and Lily Potter as a part of his pack. The moment the wolf caught sent of the traitor he gave chase.

The four students and escaped convict had immediately started running for the castle. Well, three students and an escaped convict who was levitating the fourth, Ron having passed out due to the pain in his broken leg. As soon as they hit the Entrance Hall Harry had given Sirius his invisibility cloak and told him to hide in the abandoned girl's bathroom on the second floor. They all knew that without Pettigrew, it would be infinitely harder to get the man's name cleared.

Harry, Hermione and Neville had rushed Ron to the hospital wing, instructing Madam Pomfrey to contact the ministry. Harry had known Uncle Cornelius would arrive with the Aurors; he had even been counting on it.

The minister hadn't really believed what the three friends had said but agreed to question them under Veritaserum if only so they knew they were wrong. Personally he believed they'd been hit with a Confundus charm or something similar but they only confused the memories not faked them. No matter what someone believed, they'd be forced to tell the truth in accordance with their memories. The only way to circumvent Veritaserum was to remove the memories completely, which clearly hadn't happened or the students wouldn't remember meeting Sirius Black at all.

To say Cornelius was surprised by the truth was an understatement, not to mention the Aurors, Snape (who'd provided the potion) and the headmaster. They could scarcely believe it. They even extracted the memories from the students and used Dumbledore's Pensieve to watch them from all three points of view. All of them showed the exact same thing. Sirius Black was innocent.

Cornelius inwardly groaned at all the paperwork he'd have to complete not to mention the money the ministry would have to pay but that had nothing on the twelve years Sirius had paid or the scandal this would cause for Dumbledore. Sirius Black had been sentenced without trial based on the testimony of Albus Dumbledore who had sworn that Black was the Potters' Secret Keeper.

The minister could understand why the man had wanted Black sentenced as quietly as possible. A trial would have made the fact the Potters were betrayed public knowledge and the headmaster didn't want that to plague Harry's time at Hogwarts. But that didn't change the fact that Dumbledore was wrong and an innocent man had suffered for his mistake.

The next day every single paper in the magical community proclaimed the innocence of Sirius Black and guilt of Peter Pettigrew, not to mention the fact that the man was still alive. Everyone also found out about why the Head of one of the few remaining Ancient and Noble houses was sent to prison without trial. While most people understood Dumbledore wanting to make things easier for Harry, that didn't stop his name being dragged through the mud.

Sirius was admitted to St Mungo's, paid for courtesy of the MoM, in a bid to correct the damage done to him by his time in Azkaban. They healers estimated that, short of anything major, he'd be out the same time as Hogwarts students. He was going to be moving with Lupin ("call me 'Remus', Harry") into one of the many Black properties in Britain and had already extracted a promise from Harry that he would visit his newly discovered Godfather regularly. Harry had agreed readily enough on the condition that his family came too, which had please both Sirius and Remus immensely; they'd been hoping to meet the family that had brought their cub up to be such an amazing young man.

School had finished off easily enough, with Harry coming top in about half of his end of year exams. Hermione came top in the other half with the exception of Herbology and Potions that were stolen by Neville and Draco Malfoy respectively. Ravenclaw had also managed to win the Quidditch Cup much to the Hufflepuff's (especially Cedric's) irritation. How could they not win when their star seeker was riding a top of the line _Firebolt?_ He'd gotten it back from the ministry about a week after the Christmas holidays had finished.

Though it wasn't all bad news for Cedric and his house. They had managed to easily secure the House Cup despite Ravenclaws best efforts. It was obvious, to anyone who cared to think about it, that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were no longer the forgotten houses and that was largely down to the Diggory brothers. The bitter rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin had all but ceased to exist; everyone was too busy watching the friendly sibling (an oxymoron if ever there was one) rivalry that had sprung up with the arrival of the youngest Diggory.

"Guess what I just realised." Harry said out of the blue to Hermione, Neville and Luna as they rode the Express back to London.

"What?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I didn't finish school in hospital wing this year." Harry seemed oddly surprised that he'd managed to end the year with all his limbs intact.

"True." Neville agreed, somewhat surprised himself. "But you were there before Christmas after almost falling 200 feet."

"Oh yeah." Harry remembered with a frown. "I can't work out if that's an improvement or not."

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_**AN:**_ Hello! I hope you liked that!

This chap has come out a bit early because I'm going to be away for the next month or so. I'll still be writing but no postings I'm afraid. I've got the next three chaps completely written an being beta'd as we speak.

Leave a review and let me know what you think!

Hugs, Hanna xoxo


	5. Chapter Four

_Hello! Sorry for the long wait but I did warn you. However I shouldn't be going away for work again for another couple of months at least so have no fear!_

_We finally have the long awaited chapter four and yes that includes Viktor's introduction. Now that the chapters are more detailed we'll be seeing more of Harry's personality, which I didn't really touch on in earlier chapters. Despite being intelligent and reasonable, Harry is still a teenager and I want him to act like a teenager at times so he does have hormones that he acts on and a temper that only a teenager can have._

_I really hope you enjoying reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, especially the scenes with Moody. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed at added me to their alerts!_

_Hanna xoxo_

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_**Chapter Four**_

"Harry, come on." Mary shouted up the stairs. "The portkey is about to leave."

Harry came charging down the stairs, He'd been putting the finishing touches to his outfit. He was wearing almost all green, showing his support for the Irish team. His clothes were rather more flattering than he was used to as well, Hermione having decided it was high time he developed some style. According to her, what was the point of having a gay best friend if she couldn't talk fashion with him? Harry had actually been rather scared by the changed his friend had gone through. Gone was the frizzy hair and clothes that were casual to the point of being frumpy. She had changed from a little girl, a child, to a teenage girl getting ready to be a woman. She was still the same person however, nothing of her personality had really changed and for that Harry was grateful. It would have depressed him horribly if she'd done what he'd see some girls do and become a vapid, uncaring chit.

He also found he was rather pleased with his own change. The last bit of baby fat the Diggory's had managed to get on him had fallen away to reveal lithe muscles toned by hours of Quidditch practice. His raven hair now hung just past his shoulders in a stylish layered cut which thankfully meant that even when he tied it up in a high ponytail there were still enough locks left loose to cover his scar. The only thing he wasn't too happy about was his height, at fourteen he was only 5"4. Rather small for a boy but at least he wasn't smaller than Hermione anymore and it also meant he got to skip the uncoordinated phase most tall people went through. He was stared at enough because of who he was, he didn't want the embarrassment of being stared at because he could no longer walk in a straight line.

"Harry, you look fantastic!" Hermione gushed as he joined her and Cedric next to the portkey, as it was a VIP portkey they were leaving directly from their house besides no one else in they area was going, the Weasley's being the only other magical family and they couldn't afford it. "See, I told you. As a gay person, you are naturally stylish. You just needed to be shown the light."

"Funny, Mione." He muttered as he put his finger on the tattered boot. He honestly didn't mind the gay jokes from his friends. All of them had been very accepting when Harry came out to them and the jokes were only said in fun. Out the corner of his eye he saw Cedric smirk before opening his mouth, obviously to make his own joke, but whatever he was about to say was cut off as the portkey activated and they suddenly found themselves standing in a field. The brother's immediately grabbed Hermione's elbows to steady her knowing that she's never travelled that way before and was likely to end up on her bum. Much like Harry had his first time, it might have taken the better part of five years but he had eventually got used to magical travel.

"What are you doing?" Snapped a voice from somewhere behind them. They turned to see a rather stressed young man holding a muggle clipboard full of parchment. "Where did you get that portkey? They are for the use of Ministry Officials coming to watch the match!"

"And we are the _official_ guests of Minister Fudge." Harry barked back, unable to stand the condescending tone. He sounded a lot like one of the Weasley brothers, the one that had just graduated.

The man paled and started flicking through his parchment at an alarming rate before stopping and becoming the colour of the Bulgarian Quidditch jerseys. "O-o-oh yes, m-m-my mistake. Do forgive me, I was not expecting any parties to be this young."

Harry just waved his hand, he knew full well that if they weren't there with Uncle Cornelius then this man would be looking down his nose at them still. "Which way do we go?" Harry asked with a sigh.

"Just follow that path there. It will take you to the main camping ground. That's were the main festivities are being held until the match starts." He pulled a map and three badges out of a bag the others hadn't noticed before. "When the warning goes off, follow the map to the VIP entrance to the stadium and these badges with show that you are supposed to be there."

"Thank you." The three teenagers answered cordially, still a bit miffed over how he'd spoken to them. It would be down to his own stupidity really if they told Uncle Cornelius how he'd greeted them, the portkeys were ministry controlled to events like this so it's not like they could have stolen one. Besides, he was welcoming the foreign ministry officials as well, there could have been an international incident if he spoke to someone from Bulgaria like that.

The campsite was amazing, they were awed when they finally got there. Everything in site was covered in either red or green, including the people. There were some like Harry, Cedric and Hermione that were just wearing clothes (and eye-shadow in Hermione's case) in their team colours but some were wearing full body paint, they made sure not to get to close to those people lest they end up with it all over their clothes. What astounded Hermione the most however was the friendly vibe that seemed to fill the air. Though there were some heated debates over which team was better, nothing more came of them. She was speechless. If this had been a football match a riot would have broken out with all these supporters for different teams.

They spent an hour wandering through the vendors and crowds picking up souvenirs and talking to the few people they knew from school. They each ended up buying tasselled programs and a pair of Omnioculars which Hermione had great fun playing with and comparing them to muggle binoculars.

"Harry! Hermione!" Came the voice of Terry Boot who was sitting outside a tent with Michael Corner.

"Looking good, Harry." Mike said, looking the younger boy up and down.

Harry beamed. "Thanks Mike." He really did like his outfit. He was wearing black dragon hide trousers and a dark green long-sleeved t-shirt that matched perfectly with the green _Converse_ he'd picked up when he, Hermione and Sirius had gone to muggle London for a birthday shopping spree, Sirius insisting he paid, apparently the man had twelve years of birthday and Christmas presents to make up for. He also had a stud shaped like four-leafed clover in his left ear, his parents had said that he was mature enough to make his own decisions when it came to his style he just couldn't have anything permanent like a tattoo.

Eventually, what sounded like a gong began ringing, echoing throughout the entire campsite and the surrounding forest, urging everyone to make their way to the stadium. It took them half an hour to get there and another twenty minutes for them to climb all the stairs to the Top Box. However, the luxury in which they would be watching the game for than made up for gruelling climb. The only people already there were the Ministers of Britain and Bulgaria and their Auror guards, Harry tried not to laugh at his uncle's failing attempts to start a conversation but it was slightly funny that the Bulgaria Minister was either completely ignoring the short man or didn't speak a word of English. Personally, Harry thought the former was far more likely.

"Harry! Cedric! Hermione! Welcome." Cornelius shouted, thrilled to have a distraction. "Have you been having fun so far?" He asked, genuinely interested. This was his birthday present to Harry after all.

"It's fantastic, Uncle. Really!" Harry gushed, almost jumping up and down. "I can't wait for the actual match to start."

"I'm having a wonderful time, thank you for inviting me, Minister Fudge." Hermione said as politely as she could.

"Call me Cornelius, girl!" The portly man replied instantly. "The way Harry tells it, you are more like a sister to him than a friend. That makes you like a niece to me. No need for such formalities."

Hermione beamed and nodded, pleased to have been accepted by a part of her best friend's extended family. It meant a lot to her that even the minister was being so welcoming.

"Why don't you three come and meet the Bulgarian Minister before the box gets too crowded?" Without really waiting to hear their replies, not that they'd have said no, Cornelius lead the three teenagers to the man he had been sitting next to just a moment before. The foreign minister was watching their interactions with a curious glint in his eyes, obviously he hadn't expected the slightly nervous British Minister to show such familiarity. "Minister Oblansk, this is Cedric Diggory, his younger brother Harrison and Harry's school friend Miss Hermione Granger. Children, this is Minister Oblansk of Bulgaria. I've known these two since they were children and I've become very fond of them." Cornelius said, indicating the two boys.

"Hello." Minister Oblansk greeted with a slight nod of his head. The three teenagers replied in kind.

"Cedric, Harry? You've been to Bulgaria haven't you?" Cornelius asked, not too sure had had matched the right people to the right trip.

"Oh yes!" Harry answered immediately as his eyes lit up. That had been his first and favourite holiday when he had been nine. "It's a beautiful country." Harry complimented the Bulgarian man, his love for the country obvious by his tone.

"Vhere did you visit?" The minister asked intrigued despite himself. He ignored the surprised look Cornelius sent him.

"The Pamporovo ski resort, near the Rodope Mountains." Cedric answered, he'd enjoyed the holiday just as much as Harry. It had been their first family holiday with Harry. It was special to all of them. "The views were stunning."

"I haff been there myself, it is a beautiful place." Oblansk agreed, but before he had time to add any more the rest of the guests arrived in the Top Box, forcing the teenagers to say goodbye and take their seats at the front of the box. "They are vonderful children, Minister Fudge." He said pleasantly, having warmed up to Cornelius much more with the introduction of Cedric, Harry and Hermione. "They haff good tastes."

All three teenagers were watching in awe as the mascots performed their routines, both soon-to-be fourth years couldn't stop laughing as Cedric almost declared his undying love for the Veela, thankfully Harry was unaffected, they were the wrong gender for him. Harry and Cedric felt like Quidditch amateurs as the teams flew out onto the pitch. They realised then just how hard professional Quidditch players trained regardless of the natural talent they obviously all possessed.

Though while the Veela may have had very little effect on Harry, watching Viktor Krum straddle a broom in Quidditch leathers was wreaking havoc with his hormones. He was suddenly very glad he'd splurged on the Omnioculars and he said as much to Hermione.

"You're not wrong there, Harry." Hermione agreed as she adjusted her own pair for a closer look, feeling somewhat giddy that she had a friend she could talk about boys _and_ books with. Neither of them saw the frown that stole over Cedric's features as she said this. It was gone a moment later.

"Why are we supporting Ireland again?" Harry asked only half joking.

The match itself was spectacular. Hermione was riveted. She normally only enjoyed watching Harry and Cedric play but even she couldn't help cheering just as loudly as everyone else every time Ireland scored.

They stood with the rest of the Top Box occupants as both teams walked in, the Irish team immediately snatching up the enormous silver trophy. Harry was so involved watching the Irish team claim their victory he didn't notice the dark eyes following his every move. Hermione however, did.

Harry jumped slightly when he felt an elbow poke him in the ribs. He raised an eyebrow in question then glanced in the direction Hermione had nodded. He almost jumped again when he realised Viktor Krum was looking in his direction. Harry just shot the older boy a friendly smile before turning his attention back to the main event, ignoring when Hermione elbowed him in the ribs again, this time harder and done out of annoyance.

Harry was surprised when Viktor approached him as they left the stadium to make there way to the tent Uncle Cornelius had arranged for them.

"Hello." Viktor said, his rough accented voice oddly appealing. "I couldn't help but vatch you in the Top Box. I am Viktor Krum." Viktor was only addressing Harry though Hermione waited near by in case her friend needed encouragement or an excuse to get away depending on what he wanted. Cedric, thankfully, hadn't noticed the approach of the Quidditch star and carried on walking, for some reason he seemed oddly keen to be away from the two younger teenagers.

"Harrison Diggory." He replied, holding out his hand for Viktor to shake.

"I vos vondering if you vould like a tour of the Bulgarian parts of the stadium."

Harry knew what Viktor was really asking and couldn't deny he was interested. Maybe it was the new confidence that came with his new look making him more daring but it didn't really matter, he still wanted to say yes to the offer. Viktor was gorgeous. He had short dark hair that Harry could almost imagine himself gripping as the older boy – no, man – entered him. Those dark eyes were smouldering as though he knew what Harry was thinking. His face was slightly weather beaten from spending so much time amongst the clouds but he had a rugged yet refined look about him.

Harry knew that really he should say no. He was only fourteen and definitely a virgin but he wanted this. Did it matter that he didn't love Viktor or that this would only be a one night stand? It shouldn't matter if that's what he chose. Harry was ready to have sex and while he'd prefer it if his first time was with someone he had feelings for, he wanted to have sex with Viktor all the same. He bit his lip and looked to Hermione.

She smiled at him encouragingly, she could tell what he wanted even if he was slightly put off by the whole taboo aspect. "You go if you want, Harry. I can keep Cedric company."

Harry smiled gratefully at his best friend. It was obvious she knew what Viktor had really meant as well and if she didn't think it was wrong of him, then why not?

"Then I'd love to." Harry finally answered, looking up at Viktor through his lashes and giving him a smile that somehow managed to be half coy, half sly.

Viktor almost groaned aloud at the image the younger boy made.

Harry suspected he was in shock as he half limped half jogged back to the tent a few hours later. He honestly couldn't believe he'd just done that. He didn't regret it, not in the least. It had been too fantastic to regret. Viktor, while not necessarily gentle, had been careful. Making sure he enjoyed himself and he was thoroughly prepared as to lessen the pain of his first time.

He was just worried about what kind of person this made him. Was he a slut because he didn't care that his first time wasn't special? He didn't know the answer to that question but he did bring up the issue with Hermione as soon as he got back to the tent.

"Oh Harry, no! That doesn't make you a slut or a bad person." She told him firmly as she hugged him. "Your first time can happen any way or any how, the only important thing is that you enjoyed it and you don't regret it, Harry."

"I really don't." Harry said with a grin as he remembered the feel of Viktor inside him. His bum might be screaming now but it had been singing earlier, his whole body had been.

"That's good. You've been through a lot Harry. I mean, how many times have you almost died?" She asked rhetorically, they both knew the answer was higher than it should be for someone who was only fourteen. "That's made you grow up faster. You are emotionally mature enough to make these decisions. Your parents think the same thing though I doubt they had this in mind when they said it."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at that, no his parents definitely wouldn't have expected this to happen.

"Some people don't consider sex to be important until it's with someone important. It's okay if you feel that way too, Harry."

"Thanks, Mione. I needed to hear that." He whispered as he pulled her into another hug. "Uncle Cornelius was right, you know. You are like a sister to me."

Hermione couldn't help the tears that sprung into her eyes at that as she hugged him all the tighter. "You're a brother to me too, Harry."

They'd only just been going to bed when the screaming started. It couldn't have been any later than midnight and the Irish celebrations hadn't even finished though they had quietened down a fair bit in respect for the children that needed to sleep. For a moment Harry had just they were just being loud again before he noticed the change in the atmosphere, there were no cheerful boisterous yells any more just loud screaming that spoke of real fear.

It had been terrifying to watch the Death Eaters play with the muggles and all three teenagers were sick with disgust that someone would enjoy treating another human being like that. The only thing they could be thankful for was the fact that the riot group where moving in the opposite direction to them, obviously not messing with the tents for the ministry and wealthy Quidditch fans. Harry looked around at the other tents around him, knowing that some of those Death Eaters had to be staying in them.

As they watched the riot taking place they just wished they could help but a full squadron of Aurors were having a hard time, not to mention any adults who had not fled to the forest, what could three teenagers do? The people trying to help were obviously reluctant to start stunning in case the muggles fell and ended up getting trampled. They turned when they head feet running towards them, ready to start stunning if it was Death Eaters. They breathed a sigh of relief that it was only Uncle Cornelius and two of his personal guards; Harry thought he'd spotted a few of the others helping the crowds.

The minister arranged a portkey to take them back to the Diggory home where Amos and Mary were sleeping soundly, completely clueless to the chaos that had taken over the Quidditch World Cup. Cedric, Harry and Hermione decided to follow their example, there really wasn't anything they could do about what had happened except dwell on it and that wouldn't be a good idea.

Harry groaned as he woke up on September first. He really hated that day. It was the first day he had to get up early after a long relaxing summer. It was gruelling.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice came through the door, which he'd just noticed was being knocked on. That's probably what woke him up. "Are you out of bed yet?"

"Yes, mum!" Harry shouted back sarcastically. He really wasn't much of a morning person.

"Harry?" Came Hermione's voice again. "It's Hermione, not your mum."

Harry sighed. Jokes really weren't funny when someone had to explain them. "Oops, sorry Hermione." He was too tired to point out that he was being sarcastic. Besides, his mum was in the house, it actually would have been an easy mistake to make in his half-asleep state.

Half an hour later, Harry joined everyone at the breakfast table and helped himself to some muggle _Frosties_.

"Where's dad?" He asked, noticing they were one person short.

"He's been called away, sweetie." Mary answered, not looking up from the paper. "Moody was 'attacked' again and he charmed a load of muggle dustbins to attack anyone that went past. Arthur Weasley was asked to go too because he works with muggle items."

"But why dad?" He wondered aloud. "He works for Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"I don't know why Harry, all I know is what he's doing." Marry folded up the paper and waited for everyone else to finish their breakfast. "Is everyone ready to go?"

The station was cramped and crowed by the time they got there, which was strange as it was only half ten. But if you looked closer you could see the slightly narrowed eyes and forced smiles. Fear was still in the air after the riot at the Cup and everyone wanted to make sure their children got to school as soon as possible, still believing that Hogwarts was one of the safest places in the magical world. Somehow the last three years had not done much to convince people other wise, despite the fact that each and every incident made the paper. Harry was half amazed _anyone_ still trusted Dumbledore after the slandering he received only a few months ago for sending an innocent man to prison.

Harry hugged his mother tightly, proving that even he wasn't completely immune to the worry over future Death Eater attacks, before boarding the train. The trip to Hogwarts actually passed rather quickly and with very little happening. Though there was the yearly fight between Malfoy and Weasley, this time it started because Draco had made fun of the dress robes Ron had been forced to bring. Even Harry had to laugh when he saw the frilly concoction. It looked like a dress and a rather hideous one at that.

Though the Welcoming Feast ending up with a few interesting surprises. One of which being the coming Tri-Wizard Tournament. Harry knew from the look on his brother's face that Cedric would be entering and that thought filled him with so much dread he almost started considering ways to get his brother disqualified. But he couldn't do that to Cedric, if he really wanted to risk his neck, the only thing Harry could do was to make sure he came out the other end with his life and all his limbs. Harry almost groaned, he was going to end up with an ulcer over this, he just knew it.

The arrival of Moody had been rather curious as well. Harry had never actually gotten to meet the ex-Auror before now but his dad knew him quite well from before his retirement. Though how they'd actually met when they were in completely different departments was beyond Harry.

The first Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff DADA lesson came around soon enough and the students found themselves feeling a strange mix of dread and excitement as they made their way to Moody's classroom. The older years had all been annoyingly tight lipped about the lessons, even Cedric and the twins. Though they had told Harry to brace himself which didn't actually make him feel any better about the lesson. Apparently, if the fourth year lessons were anything like the sixth year lessons then Harry was going to need a strong stomach.

"Today," Moody growled out once the students had quietened down. "We are going to be looking at the Unforgiveable curses." Harry's, as well as half the class's, eyes went wide. The Unforgiveables! He was showing the Unforgiveables to children. There wasn't a single person in the room that had hit fifteen yet, Hermione was the oldest in this class and her birthday was until the thirteenth. "Can anyone tell me what I mean when I say 'the Unforgiveable curses'?"

Harry's hand was immediately in the air, Moody nodded at him to give his answer. "The Unforgiveables are three curses that were deemed so horrible that using one can land you a one-way ticket to Azkaban."

"Correct." Moody grunted out, giving Harry another nod. "Can anybody tell me which three curses make up the Unforgiveables?"

Hermione was chosen to answer this time. "There is Imperius Curse that causes us to loose our freewill and do whatever the caster tells us. T-There's the Cruciatus Curse which causes its victim to feel unspeakable pain and… and the Killing Curse which causes instant death." The tremble in her voice that had been almost unnoticeable when she'd first started talking had become more pronounced with every curse she mentioned. Harry gripped her hand under the table. They weren't nice curses to talk about.

"Correct." This man didn't really have a very large vocabulary, did he? He opened one of the draws on his desk and pulled out a jar of spiders. "Now, I'm going to demonstrate those curses."

"You can't be serious!" Harry couldn't help but exclaim, the same amount of shock voiced by many others as well.

"I'm deadly serious, boy! You need to know this stuff! **Constant** **Vigilance**!" He absolutely roared the last part causing several students to nearly jump out of their skin. Harry frowned as a rather horrible thought struck him.

"Will all classes be shown the Unforgiveables?" He asked as a cold knot of dread formed in the pit of his stomach.

"Aye lad." Moody nodded. "All classes fourth year and above."

Harry's eyes narrowed in fury, no way was he letting this happen. Not to sound like Malfoy, but his parent's were going to throw a fit when they found out about this.

"Did you get permission from the ministry to not just show a group of fourteen year-olds but to actually perform the curses in the first place?" Harry asked in the coldest tone Hermione had ever heard him use.

Moody gazed back at him completely unfazed. Harry wasn't really surprised, Dumbledore had asked him to be here so he was going to have a lot of slack cut. "No, actually." He grunted at the boy. "Now be quiet, Potter."

"My name is Diggory." Harry replied automatically. "Did you at least get permission from the headmaster to show us what are considered the darkest curses in existence?" He rose from his seat and placed his palms flat on the table. It wasn't meant as intimidation, he knew that a battle scarred Auror wouldn't feel even the slightest bit threaten by the delicate fourth year. Harry was just that angry.

"No, I didn't." The professor grit out. "Sit down, _Diggory_, and let me get on with the lesson."

Harry ignored him again and asked. "Were permission forms sent to our parents? I imagine a fair few parents wouldn't want their _young children_ seeing these curses."

Moody was damn near frothing at the mouth now. "No, they weren't! Now sit down and shut up boy, before you end up in detention for the rest of the term."

"I'm going to assume that, as our parents weren't asked, it was decided that students could make their own decisions. If we don't want to see the Unforgiveable Curses performed on _living creatures_, are we allowed to leave?" He asked in the most respectful and polite tone he was capable of at that moment.

"No, boy, you are not!" Moody barked out like a drill sergeant, his composure completely gone.

"Tough!" Harry shouted back as he grabbed his bag and stormed out the room, heading directly to the office of his head of house.

"I'm sorry, sirs." Harry told Professors Flitwick and Dumbledore a little while later as they sat in the office of the charms teacher. "But he can't be allowed to show those curses to students. He has to be stopped."

"Mr Potter-" Dumbledore began only to be cut off.

"Diggory" Harry said tonelessly, was the headmaster ever going to get my name right. "You know, I worry about the standards of this school if the headmaster forgets the current name of a student but clings to that student's old name like a lifeline." Harry didn't think he'd ever been so disrespectful in his life, at least not while he was of sound mind, but his temper really was at breaking point. This was just unacceptable.

"Mr Diggory," The headmaster corrected with a sigh, realising he wasn't going to win that battle. "A student cannot demand that a teacher not teach them something."

Harry hissed like an angry cat, his eyes narrowing. "Do you realise _who_ is in the other fourth year class, Professor Dumbledore?"

"No, Harry." Dumbledore answered, obviously trying a different approach to the Battle of the Name. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Excuse me, Professor, but I don't think we are on friendly enough terms for you to be using my given name, especially without my permission." Harry's tone was as cold as ice, a complete contrast to the fire that was currently burning in his emerald eyes. He carried on before either faculty member had chance to say anything. "My cousin Neville Longbottom is in that class. The same Neville Longbottom who never has and never will know his parents because of one of those curses and you expect him to sit through a lesson that demonstrates them. Do you care about your students at all?" Harry couldn't help but sneer. He'd never been angrier in his life and it was all because of Dumbledore and his fucking negligence. "If my cousin is forced to witness that and then had so much as a moment of sadness over it, I will ruin you."

Dumbledore shot him a stern look. "My boy, I would advise against making threats-"

"I'm not your anything, Headmaster." Harry interrupted again in that same cold and cutting tone. "And I highly doubt the ministry would be happy to hear about your lack of concern over the emotional welfare of the children in you care."

As if on cue, Hermione burst into the office with tears streaming down her face. "Professor Flitwick!" She cried, then paused for a second at seeing Harry there before throwing herself into his arms. "Oh Harry, thank God you're here. It was horrible! I just had to leave. It was so cruel and… and…"

Harry hugged the girl to him throwing Dumbledore a glare over her shoulder. "Make him stop, Professor." He said one last time before guiding Hermione out of the office and towards the common room. "Or I'll have my parents pull us from this school. I think the _Daily Prophet_ might be curious to know why the Boy-Who-Lived distrusted his headmaster enough to leave school so close to the beginning of a new year."

The next morning Harry received a note at breakfast telling him that the Unforgiveables would no longer be mentioned in lessons where there were any students who were not of age. Harry felt a rather large amount of vindictive satisfaction about this. It was about time Dumbledore started showing some care towards the children entrusted to him.

Though it was safe to say Moody was less than happy about the new development and he made his displeasure quite clear during Harry's next lesson with him.

"It wasn't like this in my day." He growled. Harry rolled his eyes at the cliché. "Back then, boys were tough and any weakness was knocked out of them as soon as it was shown." Moody continued with a pointed look at Harry.

"Excuse me, Professor Moody." Harry said, refusing to take this off the obviously unstable man. "I have family that will spend the rest of their lives in hospital. If I am weak because I don't want to see a demonstration of the curse that put them there then I feel sorry for the people you consider strong."

"Not to mention." Hermione added, enraged at Moody's attitude, especially when directed at her best friend. "That you wanted to show the curse that ended the life of Harry's biological parents as well."

They could see the litany of words building up on Moody's tongue but he knew, as well they did, that almost anything he said at this point was going to be remembered and held against him. He wisely chose not to answer and continued with the lesson.


	6. Chapter Five

_Hi, I'm honestly sorry this is taking so long. I'm struggling a bit with chapter seven and I didn't want to put this one up until that one was finished but its been what? Two months since my last update? I was starting to feel guilty so I'm posting now._

_Hope you like it._

_Hanna xoxo_

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_**Chapter Five**_

It was a week before Halloween and every single student was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the delegations from the other schools. Harry grumbled as he got in line with the rest of the fourth years. This was ridiculous, he felt like a show dog being paraded in front of the judges.

"Will they ask to check our teeth?" He whispered to Hermione as the heads of houses went from row to row making sure everyone was looking their best. He was somewhat cheered up by the giggle she gave in response.

He had to admit that he was impressed as he watched the other schools arrive. Beauxbaton's Abraxans had been amazing to see, they were enormous even by the usual standards for that breed. They towered over Hagrid, that's how big they were. They were like something out of a muggle fairytale.

But when Harry considered the magic and effort involved with Durmstrang's entrance it had been astounding. Harry's mind was reeling as he considered the amount of power it must have taken to somehow travel from where the ship had originally been docked to then land at the Black Lake. He knew for a fact that the lake was not connected to any other body of water, not underground streams or anything. Harry was almost desperate to figure out how it had been done.

He'd immediately started tossing theories back and forth with Hermione, as neither of them were particularly interested in the proceedings anymore. At least not until the students around them started whispering.

"_Oh, Merlin."_

"_No, it can't be!"_

"_It is! It's Viktor Krum!"_

Harry and Hermione whipped round to see who had spoken before following their line of sight to the Durmstrang student who stood at the side of Headmaster Karkaroff. It really was Viktor Krum. Harry's mind ground to a screeching halt before it rebooted and started working at lightening speeds going over every reason why this was a horrible, _horrible_ situation.

"Wow." Hermione breathed. She was just as stunned as Harry over this turn of events. "I really didn't see this coming."

Harry just shook his head in a somewhat dazed manner. He hadn't either. He was barely aware during the feast to welcome the new arrivals and hardly touched his food.

"Oh, Harry." Hermione sighed as they sat on conjured arm chairs in Myrtle's bathroom. It had really become their unofficial headquarters during their time at Hogwarts. They were the only students Myrtle would willingly allow in the room and more often than not she sat down and had a chat with them. "It's nothing to worry about."

Harry whirled round to stare at her with slightly wild eyes. "'Nothing to worry about'?" He repeated incredulously. "Hermione, I know he'd never do anything like go to the paper over what we did but he has probably told his friends at least."

She just looked at him blankly, obviously not seeing a real problem. Yes, that might be slightly embarrassing but nothing to warrant this kind of freak out.

Harry just sighed in slight exasperation. "What if he tells his friends when he sees me here?"

The blank expression remained. "So he points you out to his friends, so what?"

"Mione, sweetheart, these are teenage boys. Lewd jokes and comments will be made. And while they might not be cruel about it, there is still a chance for it to get out!"

Hermione sighed this time, frustrated and still not seeing why Harry was so upset. "So it gets out then! It's nothing to be ashamed off! Most people will probably be jealous of you!"

"It has never been more obvious that you are an only child." Harry told her factually. "What if Cedric finds out, Mione? Viktor's eighteen. A full year older than Cedric and four years older than me."

Finally the seriousness of the problem registered and Hermione's eyes went wide. "Cedric would kill him." She whispered faintly.

Harry grimaced. That was the conclusion he'd reached too. This could not end well.

It took a day and a half for Harry and Viktor to bump into each other, which Harry thought was pretty impressive considering he was not actively avoiding the older boy.

"Harrison." Viktor said, shocked to be seeing the younger boy again. Harry glanced round as covertly as he could, making sure no one in the immediate area. He'd been heading to the library, which was seemingly where Viktor had just been. "I did not know you vent to Hogwarts."

Harry smiled at him. "I'm a British teenager, Viktor. What other school am I gonna go to?"

"You haff a point." Viktor chuckled. Harry looked around again, no one else was in the corridors.

Viktor caught the movement and stepped closer to the Ravenclaw, until he was barely two inches away. Harry had yet to notice. "Embarrassed to be seen vith me, Harrison?" Viktor whispered huskily.

Harry couldn't help but shiver, remembering the last time he heard Viktor speak like that. He turned wide eyes to the towering seeker. "No." He replied a little bit breathlessly. "Just making sure we aren't caught in a compromising position."

Viktor smirked and leaned in closer. "Vere you planning on getting me into a compromising position, Harrison?"

Harry didn't even try to fight the coy smile that curved his lips. "I think I'd be open to the idea of it." He answered, slightly surprised at the sultry quality his voice had taken on.

"Who do we haff to hope doesn't catch us?" Viktor placed one large hand on the curve of Harry's spine and pulled the smaller boy flush against him.

"My older brother." Harry wanted to make sure Viktor knew that this had to be a secret. "My over-protective older brother."

"Hmm." Viktor leaned down to nibble of Harry's earlobe as small hands curled around his neck. "Does this make you forbidden, Harrison?" He lifted the Ravenclaw completely off the ground forcing Harry to wrap thin toned legs around his waist.

Harry moaned wantonly at the large erection he could feel pressing into him. "Yesss." He hissed as Viktor moved them into an empty classroom and warded the door. "Completely off limits."

"It is a good thing I vos never one for rules then." Viktor made very quick work of their clothes and soon Harry was completely naked and lying on some poor teacher's desk with the Bulgarian hovering over him. He was almost incoherent with pure _need_ as the first finger entered him. Viktor definitely knew what he was doing.

An hour later, Harry was sweaty, exhausted and completely draped across Viktor's broad, _hard_ chest. He was rather comfortable andhis spine was humming pleasantly though he knew he'd pay for it later. He probably shouldn't have shouted 'harder' as much as he had, but honestly if he'd wanted gentle he'd have gone for a Hufflepuff. Not a professional Quidditch player four years his senior. Gentle wasn't likely in that situation.

"I was serious by the way." Harry murmured with a yawn. "My brother finds out about this and he will try to kill you."

Viktor gave a rough chuckle. "Vhy vould he do that, Harrison?"

Harry shot the man a grin. "Because you corrupted his little brother."

The older man pressed against Harry's burning bum causing the younger boy to moan and squirm at the mixture of pleasure and pain. "I did indeed." He murmured as he captured those pink lips in a searing kiss, his newly awakened erection teasing Harry's tender entrance.

They lay in silence for a while after another session of surprisingly passionate sex, basking in the afterglow of multiple orgasms. The darkening sky beyond the window caught Harry's attention. He groaned. It would be dinner soon and if he wasn't there and Hermione was then his brother would worry.

"Vhot is wrong?" Viktor asked in response to Harry's groan.

"I have to go. It's almost dinner and it'll be noticed if I'm not there." He grimaced as he stretched and stood. He wasn't looking forward to sitting on the hard benches in the Great Hall. Could he cast a cushioning charm without anybody noticing?

Harry had just finished shimmying into his school trousers when Viktor came up behind him. He rested his large hands on Harry's slim hips and pulled him back against that muscular chest.

"Meet vith me again." Viktor whispered directly into his ear causing goose bumps to form up and down the arms of the Ravenclaw.

Harry bit his lip. Could he risk it? "When?"

"Tomorrow."

Harry moaned when he felt lips, teeth and tongue attack his neck. He decided he could be a little bit late to dinner.

"Harry, where were you?" Hermione asked as soon as they entered the privacy of their bathroom which was where she'd dragged him as soon as the meal had finished.

He bit his lip to hold in his smile. "I might, just _might_, have been with Viktor."

Hermione's eyes lit up and she squealed like the girl she was. "What happened?"

"What do you think happened?" Harry said flatly, shooting her look.

Her eyes went wide and she squealed again before throwing herself at him. As much as Hermione would deny it, she loved good gossip just as much as the next person. You just had to find a topic that interested her.

"Calm down, Mione." Harry said with a chuckle. "We are only sleeping together. There's nothing more to it."

"I know." She said, pushing her hair out her face. "But he's gorgeous and if there is any truth to the stories in _Witch Weekly_ then we know he's good in bed. Well, you'd know that anyway. I'm just happy for you, Harry. This is exciting!"

"Why Miss Granger, are you living vicariously through me?"

"Of course. I'm not quite ready for sex yet but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy talking about it. I _am_ a teenager."

Harry laughed and curled his arm around her shoulders. "Then live away Mione. I'll be sure to update you tomorrow."

She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "You're meeting again?"

"Yep." He said with a shrug. "It's not like I'm gonna say no. The man is hung."

There was dead silence for almost five seconds for Hermione burst out into hysterical giggles. Harry joining her soon after.

The rest of the week past quickly and before anyone knew it, it was time to announce the selected Champions for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Viktor was sitting a the Slytherin table with the rest of his school, Harry sighed thinking about the man he was coming to consider a friend, not just someone he was having sex with. If both he and Cedric were selected, it looked like Harry would have two people to worry about. It's a good thing Viktor was rather helpful, not to mention capable, when it came to relieving stress.

Harry had applauded politely when Fleur was chosen, clapped hard when it was Viktor's turn and cheered louder than anyone when Cedric's name had come out of the Goblet but he was just as confused as everyone else when the Goblet interrupted Dumbledore by turning red for a fourth time. There wasn't even a fourth school to choose from.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore bellowed, intently searching the Hall with somewhat wild eyes.

"What?" Harry shouted, freezing as he felt every eye in the Hall turn to him. He could see they were all confused about what to think. They knew he'd have never done this to Cedric but there was no one else to blame, no one would have entered someone _else_ into this tournament. They'd want the recognition for themselves.

Dumbledore seemed to have regained some of his composure and gestured to the door the Champions had all gone through. "This way Mr Potter, please."

"No!" Harry shouted back at him. He was not letting them force him into this, he'd fight it tooth and nail. "It doesn't count. I'm not Harry Potter. I keep telling you that. For the last seven years my name has been Harrison Diggory. _My_ name didn't come out the Goblet. It's not me."

"Not to worry, Mr Pot- Diggory." Dumbledore said in a grandfatherly tone that was really not helping Harry keep a hold on his currently explosive temper. "The matter will be investigated. But for now would you please join the other champions so we can finish up the feast."

Harry growled under his breath and stormed to the side of the room and through the door. Unable to resist, he slammed the door behind him as hard as he could. He couldn't believe this! Dumbledore and his bloody incompetence. Surely they couldn't make him compete. He'd have no chance!

"Harry?" Cedric asked slightly warily, he knew what his brother's temper could be like when truly provoked. His biological mother was a redhead after all. "What's wrong?"

Harry growled again. "Someone entered me in the Tournament! My name came out the bloody Goblet! And I will bet you they'll make me compete!"

"C'est impossible!" Fleur shouted rising from her chair. "You are too young! You will be 'urt!"

Harry deflated and covered his face. "I know." He whispered. He was perfectly aware of what his odds would be in this competition. "But that hasn't bothered Dumbledore for the last three years. Why should it now?"

"Vhot do you mean?" Viktor asked with a frown while Fleur put her arm around Harry and drew him further into the room.

"Since I came to this school, I've almost died… How many times, Ced?"

Cedric looked thoughtful as he began to tick things off on his fingers. "There was the troll, then when someone messed with your potion, that detention in the Forbidden Forest, Quirrell, the Chamber of Secrets and when the dementors flooded the Quidditch pitch and you passed out. That's six. There's probably more."

Both Viktor and Fleur seemed to be absolutely lost for words. "Dumbledore allowed thees to 'appen?" Fleur asked eventually.

"Never did a thing." Harry answered with a negligent wave of his hand. "And he won't do anything now either."

Before anyone had a chance to say anything else the door was thrown open again and almost every member of staff, native and foreign, and the Ministry officials swarmed in, trying to get to Harry first. He froze like a dear in the headlights. Fortunately the others didn't or he'd have been trampled. Viktor immediately put his hand on Harry's shoulder, drawing this smaller boy closer to him, while Cedric and Fleur stepping in front of him. Effectively stopping Dumbledore from grabbing him and shaking him like he obviously wanted to.

"Mr Potter, did you put your name in the Goblet?" Dumbledore asked with a sense of urgency that confused Harry.

Harry almost growled but instead stuck out his chin and said stubbornly. "I'm not answering you."

"See!" Karkaroff exclaimed, throwing one hand up in a 'eureka' motion. "The boy has something to hide!"

"Actually," Harry said, almost conversationally. "I'm not answering because the question was not addressed to me. I do not see a Mr Potter in this room."

"Answer the question, Harry. This is not a time for games." Dumbledore demanded.

"I'm not playing games. I've been here four years. You should have learnt my bloody name by now. How many times have I asked you to address me as Mister Diggory, Headmaster?"

"Harry-" He tried again.

"_Mr Diggory_, to you Headmaster."

Dumbledore sighed as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He'd obviously, _finally_ realised he wasn't going to win that argument no matter how many times he tried. "Mr Diggory, did you put your name in the Goblet?"

Harry was half tempted to ask which Diggory he was talking to but didn't want to push his luck, as funny as it would have been. "No, sir. I've been worried enough that Cedric was entering, I really don't want to be in this competition. I'm only fourteen and I'm not suicidal."

The adults argued for some time after that, everyone had an opinion about whether or not Harry had entered himself. Actually Karkaroff argued, the others seemed to believe Harry was innocent and told the man so as well.

"Excuse me!" Harry interrupted, he was getting rather annoyed now. Well, more annoyed than he already was. "Shouldn't you be discussing whether or not I'm going to be forced to participate?"

Dumbledore sighed again. "I'm afraid there is no choice. You have to take part."

"But it wasn't my name that came out!"

"That doesn't matter, Mr Diggory." Crouch said as though it should be obvious. "With the others, they wrote their name in their own hand so they are bound. You are bound, regardless of it being the wrong name, because the slip of paper had an imprint of your magical signature on it."

Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. He really was magically bound to compete. A wizard's magical signature was like a finger print, unique to them and often used in place of a written signature. It would have taken an extreme amount of highly advanced spell work to do but it was possible to transfer an imprint of a magical signature from one object to another. Someone could have gotten Harry's magical signature from anything. Something he transfigured or charmed in class, a piece of homework he'd made a mistake on then used magic to fix.

"Well, what school am I competing on behalf of?" Harry demanded stubbornly. He knew he was just being difficult but he didn't care. They should have had some sort of failsafe to keep this from happening. Any underage student could have done the same thing, just charmed the parchment then ask an older student to put it in. It would have counted apparently.

"What do you mean, Mr Diggory?" Bagman asked, clearly not understanding the question. Actually only Dumbledore and Snape seemed to realise where Harry was going with this. Dumbledore just looked resigned while Snape looked faintly amused.

"Hogwarts already has a champion and it wouldn't be fair to the other schools if they had two. It doubles Hogwarts' chances of winning. Besides my name came out as a fourth school champion. So what school? Or am I independent and I just take the trophy home if I win?" Not that he thought he would win but still.

The adults seemed flabbergasted but Harry was right. It wouldn't be fair if Hogwarts had a second champion. It could affect relations between the countries if the guest schools went home saying they were treated unfairly.

Madam Maxime smiled softly at the boy, impressed that he was not just sitting passively and allowing this to happen to him. It looked like even Karkaroff had a measure of respect for the lad.

After minutes of stuttering from Bagman and Crouch they did concede that Harry was only representing himself in the Tournament. Harry grinned at the look on Dumbledore, Bagman and Crouch's faces when Madam Maxime offered to place an order for Harry's tournament jersey at the same time she ordered Fleur's. Once he'd chosen his colours of course as he clearly wouldn't be wearing Hogwarts colours.

Crouch left shortly after that muttering about damage control, leaving Bagman to tell them that the first task would take place on the twenty fourth of November and what they were facing would be explained then. After that Dumbledore had ushered all the champions out of the room, telling them to go celebrate.

"I can't bloody celebrate." Harry couldn't help but mutter. "I've got a Last Will and Testament to write."

Harry had parted with the three other champions in the Entrance Hall, Cedric's dorms being on ground level. Both Fleur and Viktor hugged him goodbye and promised to help in anyway they could. Fleur was still ranting about neglectful headmasters and incompetent ministry workers.

Ravenclaw common room was still crowded when Harry got there. Everyone from third year and above was waiting up to hear about what had happened. Harry sighed, he'd been expecting this. That's why he hadn't taken Viktor up on his whispered offer. He suspected people would be waiting for him and here they were. At least the Ravenclaws would listen to what he said and think about it logically. A house like Gryffindor would just assume he'd done it himself and not listen to reason, no matter what he said.

After he'd explained how he'd been forced into the competition, most people promised to help in anyway they could. Harry had tried to tell them it was against the rules but the majority of people, including Hermione shockingly enough, just told him to screw the rules, it's against the rules compete if you are underage but they were still making Harry do it.

There were however a few skeptical people among them, people who believed Harry had entered himself. The most vocal of this group was Cho Chang. She'd been dating Cedric the year before. They'd probably still be together if some of Cedric's friends hadn't heard her gossiping with her friends about Harry. While gossip about Harry was a common thing, Cedric's girlfriend really shouldn't have been adding fuel to the fire and even worse, she'd been the one starting a lot of rumours about Harry. It was actually her fault that the school knew Harry was gay. Harry had only just told his family and Cedric had shared it with her in confidence. She'd barely kept the secret a week.

"Are you _sure_ you didn't put your own name in?" She asked rather snidely. Someone in the crowd coughed, it sounded a lot like the word 'bitter' to Harry. Cho must have thought so too if the bright red cheeks were anything to go by.

"Don't be so petty and stupid." Hermione snapped before Harry had a chance to answer. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, preparing to give Cho a proper dressing down like she should have done last year. No one messed with her boys. "The Goblet is a centuries old magical relic and it was tricked into believing there was a fourth school. That would take an awful lot of power. No matter how powerful Harry is, he is still untrained. A fourth year doesn't have the magical stamina to cast a spell that strong without leaving themselves in a coma for a week. Think before you speak, Chang. You're supposed to be a bloody Ravenclaw. Use your head."

Cho's face burnt brighter as people around her started nodding in agreement, even some that had been unsure about Harry's innocence before. Though whether they were agreeing with Hermione's explanation of events or her opinion of Cho was anyone's guess.

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"I should have stayed in bed." Harry whispered to Hermione the next morning at breakfast.

"Don't be silly, Harry." She told him with a shake of her head as she buttered herself some toast. "You have done nothing wrong. Don't you dare think about hiding from this."

"But Mione…" He whined piteously. "Everyone's staring."

"But no one is judging." Cedric as he sat down next to his brother at the Ravenclaw table. It wasn't completely unusual for the siblings to sit together for one meal or another. He threw the paper down next to Harry's juice. "And that's why."

Harry held up the paper for him and Hermione. They grinned at the headline.

_**Boy-Who-Lived Forced Into Dangerous Tournament!**_

_Written by Rita Skeeter_

_It has been public knowledge for a month now that the _Tri-Wizard Tournament_ has made a come back under a series of new regulations intended to make the contest safer for all those involved. However these new rules seem to be doing very little to help._

_Last night at _HogwartsSchool of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ was the _Feast for the Selection of Champions_ in which a magical relic called the _Goblet of Fire_ chooses who will represent each school. Normally there are only three champions chosen, one for each school yet, in a surprising turn of events, a fourth champion was selected._

_It was later revealed that someone had cursed the artefact into believing there were four schools and added a single piece of parchment with the name 'Harry Potter' written on it. Despite the fact that this is no longer the name of the Boy-Who-Lived, Harrison Diggory is still being forced to participate. Does the Ministry not care at all that this contest has killed hundreds of older students as it is? Harrison Diggory is only a fourth year yet he is being forced to compete against students more than three years his senior, including his own adopted brother Cedric Diggory, who was furious at what was being done to Harrison._

_The siblings had tried to argue that as the name 'Harry Potter' is no longer used it shouldn't bind Harrison to the contract. This would normally render the contact null and void yet it seems whoever has done this to our Saviour also left an imprint of Harrison's magical signature on the slip of paper. Effectively trapping Harrison Diggory in a competition that has claimed many lives._

_Is that the culprit's hope? That Harrison Diggory will not live to see the end of the school year? Even Harrison himself knows his chances aren't good. He was overheard saying "I don't want to be in this Tournament. I'll be lucky if I even live through the thing, let alone win."_

_How had this travesty been allowed to happen? This reporter was horrified to learn of the injustice being done to our saviour._

_The Tournament is being supervised by Ludovic Bagman and Bartemius Crouch, so I must ask, why are they allowing this to happen?_

_Is anything being done to help Harrison Diggory survive the odds?_

"This is brilliant. But how did she know this?" Hermione mused aloud as she reread the article. Harry and Cedric shared a look but didn't say a word.

"Do people believe it though?" Harry asked, gazing round the Hall trying to see if any of the stares he was receiving were hostile.

"Hufflepuff do." Cedric told him. "They know you wouldn't do that to me. They have your back too. They think like Rita, you should have a bit of help in this."

"The Ravenclaws think the same." Hermione said distractedly. "Harry, you might need someone to handle your press now."

"What?" He asked, completely confused.

"Well, I know I said you won't need some help until you start dating and giving these people something to write about, but with your involvement in the tournament, reporters are going to start snooping soon. You should think about hiring a Press Rep now. You need to protect yourself."

"She might be right, you know." Cedric had a thoughtful look on his face. "Some reporters can be vicious and so can some people. You need someone who can handle this stuff."

Harry nodded absently, they certainly had a point. He wouldn't have a clue what his rights were when it came to what reporters might write. Maybe he'd ask Viktor what company his Quidditch Club used.

"I can giff you the name of someone who can help." Viktor told him later that night as they were lying in post-coital bliss. "Your friend is right."

"Thanks." Harry whispered as he placed lazy open-mouthed kisses on the chest he was lying on. He grinned when he felt Viktor getting hard again. This really was Harry's favourite part of the day. He reached down and wrapped his hand around Viktor pulling a strangled groan from the older man.

He revelled in the hiss he got as he squeezed. In a flurry of movement, Harry found himself once more under the professional seeker.

"You are a tease." Viktor told him before he swooped down and started sucking on Harry's neck.

Harry couldn't help but writhe and moan as Viktor slipped into his already loosened hole. Merlin, he loved this. He'd never felt so full or so much pleasure as he did when he handed himself completely over to Viktor. He almost sobbed at repeated hits on his prostate. His body felt like it was on fire. He'd never felt more alive.

And it wasn't just the sex that Harry enjoyed. He liked talking with the man. Viktor was funny and interesting. Harry knew that he was in serious danger of developing real feelings for the Bulgarian.

"Yeah, I am." Harry whispered huskily. "But you enjoy it."

"I do." Viktor admitted before pulling him into a bruising kiss as they both reached completion at the same time.

A week later Harry was sitting in the teachers lounge with his brother and Miss Jillian Moore, who was to be his new Press Representative. She was about mid-twenties with cropped blonde hair. Harry liked her so far, she was professional yet friendly.

She'd spent the last hour going over exactly what her job would be. She would be monitoring all coverage of the Tournament and any Tournament related events. Harry had no idea there were other events there were apart from the tasks but he would be asking someone as soon as this meeting was over. He just prayed it had nothing to do with the dress robes that were on their school lists for the year.

Jill had explained to them that because Harry was a minor, the press had to be very careful what they said about him. Had he not been adopted, the press would have probably written anything they wanted but here he had someone to back his corner when someone went too far.

But this meant that Harry also had to be very careful about what he was doing. Speculation was allowed if it had circumstantial evidence to back it up and it could be stopped or countered but if he should be caught red handed, there was very little Jill would be able to do. Except for damage control.

Harry went rather still at this announcement. His mind instantly going to Viktor and their night-time rendezvous. It would be a disaster if anyone found out about them. Cedric would be furious, his parents would be disappointed and the entire world would know he was having an affair with a man four years older than him. Everyone would think he was a slut.

The only thing Harry had to be thankful for was that at least Viktor couldn't get in any legal trouble for it. Most purebloods still used marriage contracts and some of them kicked in at fourteen for reasons that were completely beyond Harry but this meant that the legal age of consent was fourteen. Purebloods considered it very important that an heir was conceived as soon as possible.

Should he put a stop to things with Viktor? Despite the amount of time they spent together they weren't actually in a relationship. They were more friends with benefits. But was that worth the risk of being caught? Harry shuddered as he imagined the sort of backlash they would face. It would not be pretty. Though of course there would be magazines like _Witch Weekly_ that would be convinced him and Viktor were star crossed lovers who'd tried so hard to keep their romance to themselves.

He snorted at the thought. Harry and Viktor might be attracted to each other but there was no romance in it. No declarations or true love. No hearts or flowers.

There was just a sort of heat that would boil Harry's blood whenever they were in the same room. No matter where they were, eating in the Great Hall or just passing in the corridors, Harry would feel the scorch of Viktor's eyes as they roved up and down the Ravenclaws body as though mentally undressing him. It never failed to make him tremble in anticipation.

Harry bit his lip. It didn't matter what the risk was. He didn't care. The other man knew the risks. He enjoyed the time he spent in Viktor's company, writhing under the ministrations of those talented fingers and lips. He knew that maybe he enjoyed it too much. He wasn't going to let it go until he absolutely had to.

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_Don't forget to _**Review**_ and vote on my _**Poll**_. In the time between updates for this, do you want me to post chapters for other stories I have? Would you rather have an update for something rather than nothing at all or should I wait till this story is finished before I post anything else?_

_Hanna xoxo_


	7. Chapter Six

_Here we go, another chapter. About time! I have the whole story completed in notes, it's just a question of actually writing it which sucks because the Yule Ball is kicking my arse and being uncooperative but hopefully I can get that finished today. God knows I've been trying to write it for a month. I don't currently have a beta so please forgive mistakes! Enjoy! _

_Hanna xoxo_

_**Chapter**__** Six**_

Harry looked around as he entered the room for the Weighing of the Wands ceremony. It didn't really look like much of a ceremony. It was very informal. Just an old classroom that wasn't being used. He could see the other champions chatting with their headmasters or the press in Cedric's case. Both Crouch and Bagman were there, along with Mr Ollivander, chatting to Dumbledore.

"Harry!" Rita Skeeter cried, throwing out her arms for a hug, an enormous grin spreading across her face.

"Auntie Rita!" Harry mimicked teasingly as he embraced her warmly. "How have you been?"

"I have been fabulous, darling!" She told him as she pulled back to get a good look at him. "Well, look at you! Growing up so beautifully! I remember you, running round the house at nine years old, telling everyone you were going to be a superhero."

Harry felt his cheeks flame and glared at Cedric for laughing at him.

"Not that any of us knew what a superhero was." Cedric put in, enjoying his little brother's misery.

"Auntie Rita!" Harry moaned, pouting at them. "I know you live for my mortification but just for today can you _not_ bring up all the silly things I did when I was little. It wouldn't do to faint because all my blood keeps rushing to my face."

"Oh, we're only teasing." She said as she pulled him into another hug. She really did care very deeply for the Diggory brothers. When the headmaster had no luck trying to revoke the adoption, he went to the papers to tell them where Harry was. Hoping that if the Death Eaters knew his location and maybe even attacked, it would force the Diggorys to realise that Harry needed the protection of the blood wards with the Dursleys. At least that was what everyone assumed his intention had been, unless it had been done purely out of spite.

While Rita hadn't known for sure that was his plan, she'd strongly suspected. She knew the danger the Diggory's would be in if the story of the adoption was published, at least while Harry was that young. It was common knowledge that not every Death Eater had been caught. She'd immediately gone to her editor and convinced him that running a story like that could be suicide for the paper.

A story like that would cause problems for the new family and they might be unwilling to have anything to do with the paper again after that, but if they kept everything quiet then maybe, when Harrison was older, they'd be open to a few interviews. The Editor had agreed, albeit reluctantly, but Rita didn't really care as long as she got the Vow from him to keep the Boy-Who-Lived out of the paper until he hit Hogwarts.

After that she'd gone to the Diggorys to explain what Dumbledore had tried to do and the steps she'd taken to prevent that. She'd also given the suggestion of signing an exclusive contract to _Daily Prophet_. It would mean that no other paper or magazine could print anything about the family until Harry's first year either.

The family had been wary but they saw the merit of the idea. With the _Prophet_ not printing about Harry, and the other papers unable to print, they wouldn't have to worry about the world knowing Harry's business until he was at least eleven. It had worked as well.

Their relationship had progressed much the same as the one Cornelius had with the boys. An attachment that had grown as they watched both boys grow up and was now as solid as it would be if they were actually her blood nephews.

"Now, Harry." Rita started with a concerned look on her face. He didn't believe it for a second. "You need to be honest with me here. Do you have a boyfriend yet?"

Harry chuckled, he should have expected that question, but he felt his face heat up all the same. "No, Auntie Rita, I am pathetically single I'm afraid."

She gasped dramatically. "Are these Hogwarts boys blind? It really doesn't say much about this school if they are too stupid to see how beautiful you are! What about the boys from the other schools? Surely one of them must have shown an interest or do we have a whole generation of idiots to contend with?"

By now they had attracted the attention of everyone in the room, which included Viktor much to Harry's embarrassment. Cedric was doubled over laughing, tears streaming down his face. Harry was tempted to kick him, hard, but to do that he would probably have to take his face out of his hands and that wasn't something he was going to do until he was completely certain his blush had disappeared.

"Auntie Rita!" Harry interrupted loudly before she actually went and _asked_ someone from the other schools if they were stupid for not showing interest in Harry. She really would do it. The woman had no shame. "Tell me what you've been doing recently. It's been ages since we had a real conversation."

"Well," She started, thoroughly distracted now she was talking about herself, much to Harry amusement. "_I_ have been nominated for another _Golden Quill_ award."

Before the conversation could continue Dumbledore called everyone to their seats though not without a glare at Rita, obviously less than thrilled with the relationship between the two brothers and the reporter. Harry and Cedric sat down after offering the reporter a quick 'congratulations'.

The ceremony itself was actually rather boring for the most part, though Harry and Cedric were both grateful that Ollivander kept the truth about Harry's wand to himself. Even Rita didn't know that Harry's wand was the brother to Lord Voldemort's. The wand-maker even complimented the brothers on how well cared for their wands were.

After that it had been time for photos which Harry had hated, especially as he had been at the centre of most of them, being the youngest and shortest. Though the others didn't mind, they were rather amused watching Harry argue with Rita about where he should be placed and they struggled to contain their amusement every time Rita got her own way.

Things had broken up quickly after that. All the adults rather busy making final arrangements for the First Task that was taking place in two days time.

"Harry, dear." Rita stopped him before he could leave. "Do you think I could trouble you and Cedric for a bit of an interview, give me your thoughts on how the tournament is going?"

Cedric chuckled as he came to stand next to he brother. "Nothing's happened for the tournament yet, Auntie Rita."

"You've already covered everything." Harry told her with smile. "Come see us after the first task and we'll tell you what we thought about it, okay?"

"Okay." Rita sighed, jutting her lip out in an exaggerated pout. She gave the boys one last hug before leaving the room with her photographer, already discussing the page layout for when the article came out.

"Cedric! 'Arrison!" Fleur called before they could leave. The brothers turned to see that they and the other two champions were the only people left in the room.

"We haff something to tell you." Viktor said gruffly, his eyes firmly on Harry with what looked like worry swirling in them.

"Thee first task," Fleur started, clearly rather unnerved with what she had to say. "Eet ees dragons."

Harry and Cedric's mouths dropped open. They couldn't be serious. The school wouldn't arrange something _that_ deadly, would they?

"They are being kept in the forest." Viktor told them, reading the disbelief on their faces rather easily. "Both Maxime and Karkaroff haff seen them."

Harry couldn't hear anything after that. Dragons. They had to go against fucking _dragons!_ What could the Ministry possibly be thinking or are they not thinking at all? Even Dumbledore, who was supposedly the greatest wizard alive, would struggle getting past a bloody dragon! And they expected eighteen year olds to manage it for their entertainment! Not to mention, Harry the surprise champion, the youngest champion!

He was going to die, he just knew it.

Harry felt his knees give out as soon as he walked back into the champion's tent. That had been easy. It had been terrifying and every second out there Harry was sure the dragon would change her mind and eat him, but ultimately it had been rather easy. And it had only taken minutes.

It had been Hermione that suggested just talking to the dragon. Harry had looked at her as though she was crazy at first but she'd proved him wrong. In their second year, when she'd discovered Harry was a Parselmouth, she'd decided to research everything she could find about the 'dark' gift.

It had been speculated that, as dragons were ultimately just large lizards and lizards were distantly related to snakes, a dragon may be able to understand Parseltongue. They couldn't speak it, their tongues didn't move the right way to form the hissing sounds but there was a chance they could understand the language or at least get the gist of it.

But there hadn't been a recorded Parselmouth for the a few hundred years until Harry came along so no one had been able to test out the theory. There was the Dark Lord of course but no one out there was brave or stupid enough to ask for his help in researching the matter.

So Harry had decided to at least give it a try. It would have been much easier to plan had they known what the actual task was but the only thing any of the champions knew was that it involved dragons. So Harry had practised his summoning charms as well, just in case he needed to move quickly, he was never faster than when he was on his broom.

Harry had found himself staring in horror at the miniature figurine of the Hungarian Horntail wondering how in the Hell he was going to convince a nesting dragon to give up one of her eggs, even if it wasn't a real egg.

But it had actually been rather easy. Though it had taken a _Sonorus_ charm to be heard over the whisperings of the crowd, the dragon had seemed to understand him perfectly and after checking for herself that there was one egg different from the rest she had rolled it away from the pile and allowed him to come forward to pick it up. He even giggled when she nuzzled against him slightly.

The entire audience had been frozen in shock, not a single person had made a sound as Harry completed the task in barely twelve minutes. They still hadn't actually started speaking yet, he noticed absently as his knees hit the floor.

"Harry!" Hermione cried as she fell to the floor beside him and threw her arms around him. "That was amazing! You made it look not just easy but boring!"

He gave a weak, slightly hysterical chuckle. "That was not boring. It was thrilling, it was heart attacking inducing. Definitely not boring."

She dragged him to the medical tent after that, insisting he get checked over, just in case. Madam Pomfrey just ushered him behind the flap into one of the private 'rooms' and told him she'd be back as soon as she'd finished with Fleur and Cedric, which almost caused Harry to panic but he managed to stop, telling himself that if it was serious then Hermione would have said something.

The flap had barely closed behind the matron when it was opened again. Harry only just caught a glimpse of Viktor's pale face before he was pulled into a tight hug.

"Viktor?" He asked slightly concerned, had something major happened to Cedric after all?

"Never again." Viktor replied, holding Harry all the tighter and causing him to squeak.

"Viktor, what's wrong?" Harry tried again, pulling back to look up into the older boy's face.

The Durmstrang champion raised a hand and gently brushed Harry's fringe out of his eyes so he could see them clearly. Dark brown met with emerald green and Harry felt something in his chest squirm at the emotion he could see, even if he couldn't understand it.

"I haff never been more scared in my life." Viktor whispered, his large hand cupping Harry's cheek with a tenderness that surprised both of them. "To see you, so small, standing against something so big. I vos terrified."

Harry was speechless; he didn't have a clue what to say. What did this mean? Did Viktor have feelings for him? Romantic feelings?

Don't be silly, Harry told himself. That was absurd. They were just a bit of fun. If Viktor wanted something serious there were hundreds of witches and wizards out there to choose from. Why would he choose Harry?

They were friends now that's all. Hermione had probably found it just as nerve wracking to watch Harry and Cedric complete the task. He soothingly ran his hands up and down Viktor's toned arms.

"It's okay." Harry told him softly. "I'm okay. It's over. I'm safe-"

He was cut off as Viktor's lips descended on his, drawing him into a demanding kiss. Harry felt himself melt against Viktor's strong frame, need rushing through his veins like adrenaline. But the kiss itself felt different and Harry didn't understand what had changed but whatever it was had his heart working overtime.

"Meet me tomorrow." Viktor demanded huskily, his lips swollen from the harsh kiss.

Harry nodded, wishing they could arrange something for tonight but celebrations would be taking place in the common room and it would be noticed if he wasn't there. "Classroom by the library?" He didn't know why he was asking, they very rarely met anywhere else.

"Yes." Viktor replied dropping one last kiss on Harry's upturned lips before swooping out one side of the tent room, just in time to avoid Madam Pomfrey who came in from the other end, a medical chart clutched in her hand and muttering about deadly games.

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Cedric sighed as Harry continued to glare at him. Well, he wasn't really glaring at him, just at the rather large burn on his face. Cedric ignored his brother and turned to the blonde woman sitting opposite them.

"Did you have any specific questions, Auntie Rita?" Cedric asked, clearly hoping to draw attention away from his injury and to the matter at hand. Both champions had forgotten the promise they'd given the reporter to give an interview about the first task and now, when they should be in their common rooms celebrating the fact they were still alive, they were sitting in a cold, abandoned classroom talking about something Cedric really didn't want to talk about.

It really shouldn't have been this big of a deal but then the Hufflepuff had gotten injured and now Harry was pissed as Hell. Even Rita's desire for a scoop was having a hard time overcoming the concern that could be seen in her eyes.

"Not really." Rita answered slowly, struggling to pull her eyes away from the gruesome burn that covered the entire right side of Cedric's face. "I just wanted your thoughts on the task itself."

"My thoughts?" Harry growled out. "I'll tell you want I bloody think. I think this tournament is the stupidest thing the ministry has ever done." He stood up and began pacing now, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as though he was hoping for something to hit. "Actually, no! The tournament itself is a good thing. That task though was the most idiotic thing I have ever seen! At the dragon reserves, it takes at least _five_ fully trained handlers to do anything with _one_ dragon. And they expected _teenagers_, wizards and witches who are _barely_ of age, to steal an egg from _nesting mothers_! Are the people who organised this insane? Or do they want students to die? Because they are going the right way about it!"

Silence reigned after that. The only thing that could be heard for several minutes was Harry's harsh breathing. No one could deny what he'd said simply because he wasn't wrong. The Health and Safety Regulations at the dragon reserves said you could not approach a dragon without at least four other fully trained people there as back-up. The handlers would loose their jobs, not to mention their lives, if they tried approaching with less. And that was normal dragons. It had to be at least seven handlers for a nesting mother, they were just that vicious.

Rita cleared her throat and turned to Cedric. "Do you have anything to add, Cedric?"

Cedric looked at his shaking brother and pulled him into a firm hug. "Harry pretty much said it all. He's right. That task was ridiculous and it's down to sheer luck that someone didn't die." Cedric paused as he felt Harry grip him tighter at those words.

Rita nodded, looking uncharacteristically sad. "Okay, I'll get that in tonight, it should be in the morning edition." She put her quill and parchment back into her bag before looking at the boys. "Be careful." She told them seriously. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost one of you."

She was already out the door before either of them had the chance to say anything. They knew exactly how she felt. Cedric was starting to regret entering the tournament and Harry was seriously wishing he knew who had entered him, just so he could kick them.

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However it was a week later when Harry found out that the scariest part of the tournament wasn't actually one of the tasks.

He stared at his transfiguration teacher in horror as she finished telling them about the Yule Ball. It was going to be horrible, Harry just knew it. It wouldn't have been too bad if he wasn't a champion. If he had just been any other student he could have gone solo and just enjoyed himself dancing with friends but that was out of the question. He was a champion and he was expected to open the Ball.

This meant he wouldn't just be dancing. He'd be dancing in front of a crowd. It also meant he needed a date and that just caused a whole set of new problems. He was dreading the next week. He might not be Harry Potter any more but he was still the Boy-Who-Lived and that was a title that came with fans. He cringed at the thought of how many people he was going to have to say no to.

It was like St Valentine's day. He remembered last year, when he was finally old enough to go to Hogsmeade, the amount of people that asked him out for the trip that just happened to fall on that day. It had been horrendous. He'd never even spoken to half the people before and probably hadn't spoken to them since either.

"Don't worry, Harry." Hermione said soothingly, rubbing small circles on his back as they made their way down to lunch. "I'll help you pick someone. You know as soon as you have a date, people will stop asking you."

"There's no one I actually want to go with, Mione." Harry answered in a small voice before perking himself back up with obvious effort. "Besides, even if I have a date it won't stop the rabid ones. I'm going to have to start carrying the map Remus gave me just to dodge Ginny Weasley."

"Yes, she is rather persistent." Hermione agreed, pulling a face. They really had nothing against the girl… she was just a bit odd. For someone who was too shy to even talk to Harry, she'd made no secret of her feelings. The singing dwarf in second year for example. Not to mention the musical card she'd sent last year. That had been dreadful though really not as bad as the dwarf; it seemed she was learning to tone it down a little bit.

"That's putting it mildly." Harry remarked dryly. He'd hoped that when the secret of his sexual preference had gotten out, the girl would have realised that she didn't really have all the required equipment but no such luck so far. Maybe she needed to see proof.

"You never know, Harry." Hermione started with a sly smirk that made Harry distinctly nervous. "Viktor might want to take you. You'd say yes to him, wouldn't you?"

"Yes." He admitted quietly, hanging his head in defeat. If he was honest with himself, he could confess that he did want to go with the Durmstrang champion. "But that's not going to happen. So let's change the subject and start looking at my options seriously. Who can I go with?"

Hermione thought about her answer as they sat themselves down at the Ravenclaw table. "I honestly don't know." She told him after they'd started eating. She cast a privacy charm around them before continuing. "There aren't that many openly gay students. You could ask Roger Davies, he's bi-sexual, but he's currently got a crush of Fleur. I don't think there is anyone else who's gay in Ravenclaw, no one who's admitting it anyway."

"There's no one I know of in Hufflepuff at all." Harry said with a frown. It would have been better if he could go with a Hufflepuff, they'd be more understanding when he told them it was just as friends, plus they wouldn't want to piss of Cedric by putting the moves on his baby brother.

"There are a couple in Slytherin but most of those are at the age when they start looking at marriage prospects, I don't think you want to attract their attention."

Harry shook his head vigorously. "I might be open to the idea of a long term relationship. With the right person. But I don't think I'm quite ready for marriage."

Hermione snorted, nodding in agreement. Neither of them could understand why some purebloods got married so damn young. "What about Gryffindor?" She asked as she pinched a chip off Harry's plate.

He frowned as he tried to remember if Neville had mentioned anything. "There's Seamus Finnigan, he swings both ways but apparently his morals are a bit loose if you know what I mean. There's Cormac McLaggen, he's gay but he's just after sex as well. That's it I think."

Hermione sighed, Harry really was gonna have a Hell of a time trying to find a date that wouldn't spend the whole night groping him but that would still be somewhat better than wanting to marry him. "Keep your options open." She told him. "You don't know what the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons boys are like, besides if worst comes to worst then you might want to ask me or Luna."

Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust causing Hermione to burst into furious giggles. "Mione! I don't want to go with a _girl_!" He stuck his tongue out as though he'd tasted something foul. "_Ewww_!"

"Oh, do shut up, Harry!" Hermione said, smacking him over the back of the head as they rose from the table. "It's not like I'm suggesting you take _Ginny_!" Hermione's giggles started again as her words caused Harry to pale and almost trip over his own feet.

"Harry!" Someone interrupted before the young Ravenclaw had a chance to retort. "Can I talk to you? In private?" Cedric asked, looking oddly awkward and somewhat nervous.

Harry's eyes went wide as he shared a look with his best friend. She looked just as panicked as Harry. Could Cedric know about his affair with Viktor? Harry hoped not. That would not be a fun conversation to have.

Excuses and arguments started flying through his head at lightening speed even as Harry nodded to his brother and followed him out of the Hall, after telling Hermione he'd be back in a minute. She told him she'd be waiting in the Entrance Hall.

They didn't go far, only to a nearby classroom, but the way Cedric warded the room did nothing to assure Harry's fear.

"Harry?" Cedric asked, easily seeing Harry's panic. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Harry said quickly, his voice coming out an octave or two higher than normal. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Nothing. What was it you wanted to talk about?"

With that the nervousness came back into Cedric's eyes. "I- I just-" He stuttered before taking a deep breath and trying again. "I just wanted to know how you would feel if I asked Hermione to the Yule ball?"

Harry mind went blank. He could honestly say he'd not been expecting anything like that. He couldn't help the relieved laugh that escaped him.

"Is that all?" He asked breathlessly with a smile on his face. A smile that turned into a grin at Cedric's nod. "I would be thrilled if you and Hermione went to the Ball together." Harry told his brother honestly.

Cedric smiled at him, pleased to have his brothers blessing. "You don't think the age gap is too big?"

The smile dropped off Harry's face as he considered how to answer the question. Whatever he said would have an impact if Cedric ever found out about him and Viktor.

"Age means nothing, Ced." He told him with a soft smile. "It's about who you are not how old you are. As long as you like each other then it's no big deal. A three year age gap, or even four or five, won't matter ten years down the line."

Cedric smiled gratefully and pulled his younger brother into a hug. "Thanks."

"No problem. But if you hurt her, I will kill you. Brother or not. Okay?"

"Okay." The Hufflepuff agreed with a chuckle before frowning thoughtfully. "Harry?" Cedric asked slowly, watching his brother carefully. "What did you think I wanted to talk to you about?"

"Erm… Nothing?"

"Harrison Diggory!" Hermione shouted as she finally made it back to the Ravenclaw common room.

Harry couldn't help but grin as he took in her flushed appearance and swollen lips. "Yes, Mione dear?" He asked sweetly from his spot by the fire.

"I need to talk to you." She forced out through gritted teeth but Harry could see the smile in her eyes. It wasn't the first time they pulled a stunt like this just because they wanted privacy but couldn't be bothered walking down to Myrtle's bathroom. "Boys dorm. Now. No one disturb us." She directed the last bit to the other people in the room but it didn't really matter, they'd be putting up privacy and locking wards.

As soon as the wards were up, Hermione squealed and launched herself at her friend.

"I take it he asked you then?" Harry said with a grin. After running away from Cedric, he'd met Hermione by the marble staircase and told her he'd be in the common room before dashing off. She hadn't even taken two steps to follow when Cedric called for her to wait.

"Yes, he asked me!" Hermione shouted. The biggest grin on her face that Harry had ever seen. "He asked me!"

"I'm happy for you, Mione." Harry said softly and sincerely.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" She asked, biting her lip. "He's your brother and I'm your best friend. I understand how it could be weird for you."

Harry narrowed his eyes at his friend. "You can have my blessing on one condition then."

"What?"

"If he finds out about me and Viktor, I expect your full support!"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. "You'd have had that anyway! But I promise to keep him in line."

"Good." Harry said with a giggle and a nod of his head before pulling his friend into another hug.

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Harry frowned as he made his way to the classroom by the library. It had been two days since Cedric and Hermione finally admitted their feelings to one another and while the relationship might be a secret for now, Hermione was in no way hiding how loved up she felt.

And Harry was jealous.

He wanted that! He wanted that sparkle in his eyes whenever the other person was mentioned. He wanted that little smile people get whenever they think about the person they love. And he wanted it with Viktor damn it! What was so wrong with that?

But that just wasn't want Viktor wanted. Harry knew that Viktor had never had a _real_ relationship with anybody. He'd never even come close. Harry had only been sleeping with him for about a month and that was probably the longest Viktor had ever stuck with the same person. Though it honestly would not surprise Harry if Viktor had more than one person on the go. Harry wasn't stupid enough to think he was special to Viktor.

Though Viktor was starting to become special to Harry. Maybe it was a cliché, Harry had given Viktor his virginity and was now well on his way to giving the man his heart. And he knew for certain it would only be broken. It wouldn't be Viktor's fault. The man wouldn't hurt Harry deliberately but it would happen nonetheless. Viktor travelled a lot for Quidditch and he was busy. He didn't want to tie himself down. Harry knew this. Viktor had told him this. They didn't just have sex, they did talk as well and Harry _knew_ nothing _real_ would happen between the two of them.

So why was he still falling for the Bulgarian teenager?

"Diggory!" Someone shouted causing Harry to whip round in surprise. "Where are you off to?" Draco Malfoy asked casually as he fell into step next to the younger boy.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Just to the library." He lied. Why the Hell was Draco Malfoy talking to him? They'd never been enemies but it's not like they were friends either. They'd barely spoken, they had no classes together. The only time they really met face to face was on the Quidditch pitch. And there Malfoy was always in a mood because Harry kept kicking his arse at the game.

"That's nice." The blond boy answered distractedly, not really hiding the fact that he didn't care where Harry was going. He reached out and grabbed Harry's arm to stop him walking any further. "There was actually something I wanted to ask you."

"Okay…" Harry said slowly, a cold tendril of dread curling in his stomach. Why did he have a sinking feeling that he knew where this was going?

"I wanted to know if you had a partner for the Yule Ball yet."

"No, I haven't." Harry told him reluctantly. He really wished he could lie but he knew it would just come back round to bit him on the arse.

"Good." Draco said with a firm nod of his head. "Well then, Harry, would you allow me the pleasure of escorting you?"

"Erm," Harry bit his lip and tried to think of the nicest way to say no without having to say yes. "Draco, I don't really think that would be a good idea."

The Slytherin smirked in a way that reminded Harry of a predator on the hunt. The feeling of dread increased. "And why is that, Harry?"

Harry mind was going over every excuse he had and he couldn't find a single one that would satisfy the Malfoy heir. "Shouldn't you be looking for a bride, Draco? I thought your father would want you to be officially courting someone sooner rather than later."

"He does." Draco's smirk widened.

"Then why are you asking me?" Harry asked, horribly confused. "Shouldn't you be asking one of the pureblood princesses?"

Draco gave a dark chuckle and began to walk toward the Ravenclaw. Harry instinctively took a step back, then another, then another and the next thing he knew, his back was firmly against the stone wall and Draco was hovering over him. Effectively keeping him trapped in place. "I have been watching the students all year and most of last year. There very few who are considered worthy enough to even associate with the Malfoy name and almost none who are worthy enough to hold it. But you, Harry, I think you'd make a rather remarkable Malfoy."

Harry's mind went blank and his mouth dropped open in shock. What the Hell? How many shocks of his life is he going to get this year? Seriously? Is someone out there trying to give him a heart attack? "Draco," Harry started as firmly as he could. Which, given the situation, wasn't actually that firmly. Where was a night in shining armour when you needed them? "I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline. I'm sorry but you'll have to find someone else."

"Hmmm, really?" Draco asked, grazing the back of his hand down Harry's soft cheek. "And why is that?"

Harry sighed; this was a tough call to make. He could either be honest and risk offending the blond or he could skirt around and deal with Draco chasing him for the rest of the year. And Malfoys very rarely gave up something they considered 'theirs'. "There are a few reasons. One is that it's going to be many, many years before I get married. Another is how we conceive an heir? Surely your father insists on their being one?"

Draco chuckled again and moved one hand to press against Harry's flat stomach, caressing the toned muscles just ever so slightly. "Don't worry about that. For the right price, there are potions to help a wizard conceive. We could have you knocked up in no time."

Harry felt himself swell with indignity. How dare he? Why should Harry be the one to carry the child? Why couldn't Draco? He took a deep breath, if he started arguing that point then Draco would take it to mean he agreed and he definitely didn't! "I'm sorry, Draco, but I really don't like the way you treat people."

The Slytherin frowned; clearly he hadn't been expecting that argument. "What do you mean? We have never had any sort of altercation. The only person I really don't get on with is the Weasel."

"I don't mean like that. Ron Weasley might be the only real enemy you have in Hogwarts but that doesn't mean you're nice to everyone who isn't him. You treat people like they're worthless. It's horrible."

"I have to treat them like that, Harry. Compared to me, compared to any Malfoy, they are worthless. Don't worry, I'll teach you how to do it properly."

Harry scowled at the arrogant pureblood. "I appreciate your offer, Draco, but the answer is no. I'm sorry you have wasted your time."

"Malfoys don't waste their time." Draco said bring his hand back up to cup Harry's cheek. "And Malfoys always get what they want." With that he leaned in quickly, sealing his lips firmly over Harry's before the Ravenclaw had a chance to respond.

After a second of shock, Harry's hands went to Draco's shoulders and began trying to push the older and taller boy away. He finally managed it after a few moments of struggle. "I said 'no', Draco."

"And I said 'yes'." The Slytherin answered flippantly before stroking down the side of Harry's face once more and walking back the way they came.

Harry grumbled as he straightened his robes and turned in the direction he had originally been heading in. However he was brought up short when his sights immediately locked onto a furious pair of dark chocolate brown eyes. Viktor.

The young Ravenclaw gulped. This was not good.

**Review!**_ And _**Poll!**


	8. Chapter Seven

_Hello again! Sorry for such a long wait but this story is kicking my arse at the moment, I just can't seem to get it right. I'm halfway through the next chapter, I'd wanted to have it finished before I put this up but it's taking so long and I figured you needed something and soon before you lot forgot all about this fic._

_Anyway, hope you like it – Hanna xoxo_

_**Chapter Seven**_

Viktor growled from his place at the Slytherin table, drawing the attention of his roommate who just rolled his eyes and went back to his breakfast. Viktor hated this. Watching witch after wizard fawn over Harry. They were barely worthy to be in the presence of the little Ravenclaw.

He'd stopped trying to tell himself he wasn't jealous. It hadn't been working. Viktor had shocked himself when he finally admitted his feelings, only to himself of course, and he'd been trying to understand where they came from ever since.

He could easily see the appeal in Harrison Diggory. Who couldn't? But Viktor had always been rather untameable when it came to relationships so it surprised him that the one person who hadn't deliberately tried to pin him down had succeeded without either of them realising.

Viktor remembered when he'd first seen the younger boy. Both Hermione and Harry thought that the first glimpse had taken place in the Top Box, after the World Cup. But they were both wrong. It was before. The eighteen year old had been heading towards the stadium, a few hours before the match was to start, when he'd walked past a boy with eyes and an arse he was sure he'd never forget.

He'd wanted to approach the boy there and then but at a World Cup final, that close to the rabid fans? Viktor knew better than to remove his Disillusionment Charm. He valued his life. But he'd vowed to find the boy again. Viktor wasn't crude enough to collect notches on his bedpost but that was definitely one body he wanted to sample for himself. He'd expected it to be a rather difficult quest so he was surprised when he saw the boy again in the Top Box. Almost as though he were waiting for him.

He'd been fairly obvious with his intentions, he hadn't wanted to lead the boy on, and Viktor had been surprised that Harrison had been so receptive to the idea. Most people wanted promises of forever. It was just another thing that set Harrison apart from the crowd.

It was supposed to be a one off but Viktor had spent the rest of the summer thinking about those green eyes and narrow hips and when he saw Harry again at Hogwarts, he just couldn't pass up the opportunity for a repeat performance. Then another one. And another.

Viktor was completely hooked within a month.

And he'd only just admitted it to himself when he was reminded of the approaching Yule Ball which meant that he needed a date. And more importantly, Harry would need a date. This made Viktor's possessive side flare something wicked, bringing a whole host of other problems with it.

His wand hand would twitch whenever he so much as thought about another person holding Harrison close as they danced. It just didn't sit right with him. Harrison was his and no one else's. He just had to make Harry see that.

At first it seemed like it would be a rather easy task. Harry was saying no to every person who asked him but what if that would include Viktor? Their relationship had no strings attached and maybe that was what Harry ultimately wanted, that's why he was saying no to everyone who asked him.

But then wouldn't he have just said yes to the first person that came along? If he wasn't waiting for someone specific then wouldn't he have just picked someone and gotten the whole thing over and done with?

Viktor didn't want to delude himself into thinking Harry was waiting for him but he couldn't deny that he hoped it was the case and that scared him. He'd never really felt anything for anyone before.

He loved his family and was loyal to his friends but he'd never had romantic feelings that went beyond attraction. Being a professional Quidditch player meant he had a string of admirers but none of them had ever captured his attention the way Harry had. They were too busy batting fake eyelashes to have anything resembling a conversation.

He'd taken them to bed of course but he'd never taken them seriously.

But he could talk to Harry and he did quite often. If they weren't sleeping together, Viktor would consider them friends. Actually that wasn't true. Even though they were having sex, Viktor would consider Harry a friend. It was Viktor's feelings blurring the lines between them. He wanted more than simple friendship.

And now, watching that arrogant blonde boy almost demand that Harry attend the Ball with him, Viktor's blood was boiling. Yet his tongue felt too heavy to shout out, to interrupt them. What if Harry wanted this? What if Malfoy was the person he'd been waiting for?

He'd never been more relieved in his life when Harry said no but that did nothing to sooth the pure rage that flooded his system when that little blonde bastard dared touch what was his. And he was. Harry was his, even if he didn't know it yet.

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Harry jumped as the door was slammed behind him. He knew Viktor was going to do it but he still jumped nonetheless. The young Ravenclaw could honestly say he had no clue what was going on, he didn't understand why Viktor was so angry.

And it wasn't like Viktor was explaining things; the man was just grunting and glaring around the room as though he half expected enemies to pop out at him.

"Viktor?" Harry prodded then froze as that glare was turned on him, though it did soften a little bit which helped Harry calm down. "What's wrong?"

Viktor looked like he was grinding his teeth. "That boy! He had no vight to touch you."

"Draco?" Harry asked with a frown, why was he so annoyed by what Draco had done? "Draco's just an idiot who likes a challenge, he'll get bored sooner or later."

Viktor growled again and stomped forward until he was towering over Harry. "I don't like it. They are not vorthy of you."

Harry was lost; there was an undertone to the conversation that he just didn't understand. "I don't take him seriously." Harry assured him. "Though Draco is going to be very persistent about this."

"I don't like it." Viktor ground out again.

"Neither do I." Harry told him with a sigh as he sat down on one of the tables. "Draco isn't used to being told 'no', he has an overgrown sense of entitlement. It'll just take a while for him to realise I'm not playing hard to get."

Viktor stared at him, an intense stare that made it seem as though he was trying to read his mind. "Are you playing hard to get? Do you vant him?"

"No!" Harry said adamantly, shaking his head.

Viktor just stared harder. Harry was starting to get annoyed now. He didn't understand where this had come from or what it was really about.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Harry stood up, what was Viktor really asking? He didn't know whether to be furious or exasperated. Right now, furious was winning. "For fuck's sack, Viktor, the guy's a brat! More than an hour in his company and I'm likely to punch him! I don't want him!"

"Then who do you vant?" Viktor shouted back.

Harry froze, the word 'you' caught in his throat. He couldn't tell Viktor that. Viktor wanted no strings attached, he'd known that from the start. But he couldn't lie to him either.

"Vell?" Viktor demanded. He stalked forward and seized Harry by the upper arms. Forcing the smaller boy to look at him fully. "Who do you vant?"

"You."

It came out as a near silent whisper. If Viktor hadn't been listening as desperately as his was, he'd have missed it. He still wasn't sure it hadn't been imagined.

"Vot?"

"You!" Harry repeated louder, forcefully wrenching himself out of Viktor's hold and backing up a few steps. Viktor was too stunned to do anything but let him. "I want you. And I know I shouldn't but I can't help it. I'm sorry."

The sight of tears welling in the green eyes finally brought Viktor out of his shock. The next thing Harry knew he was being kissed within an inch of his life. With more passion and desperation than any kiss they'd shared previously. Their clothes were practically ripped off as each boy tried to devour the other.

Harry sighed in bliss as he rested his head against Viktor's chest. Despite the fact his spine felt like Hagrid had stepped on it, he'd never felt better. A weight had been lifted off his chest, one he hadn't even known was there.

He didn't know how Viktor felt but he'd made his own feelings clear and that was enough. If Viktor didn't feel the same then it would suck but he'd get over it. Eventually.

"Go vith me."

The soft whisper jolted Harry out of his thoughts. He tilted his head to look up at the older boy who was staring back intently.

"What did you say?" Harry asked hesitantly, praying he'd heard right.

"Go vith _me_, Harrison."

"I'd love to."

Viktor ignored the way his heart clenched at the sight of Harry's blinding smile. It was one thing to admit he felt _something_, he didn't think he was quite ready to give that something a name yet.

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Harry bit his lip to hold in his grin as Hermione dragged him into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She'd been staring at him shrewdly since they'd met up in the common room that morning, she could tell something was different she just didn't know what. Lessons had just finished for the day and it was bugging the Hell out of her.

"Have you figured it out yet?" He asked teasingly, his wide smile breaking forth as he conjured two overstuffed armchairs and dropped boneless into one of them. He was in too good a mood to try and keep his face blank. He wasn't deliberately keeping anything from her but she'd already been in bed when he'd returned the night before so he hadn't been able to share his excitement with her.

"So you admit something has changed?"

"I never denied it."

"But you won't tell me what it is?"

"I will if you want me too, Mione." Harry told her with a shrug of his shoulders. "But do you really want me to?"

"No." She admitted grudgingly and with a glare. "You know I don't want you to."

Harry nodded. He knew exactly why. She wasn't a Ravenclaw for nothing, she thrived on working things out for herself. However normally she had Harry to bounce theories back and forth with, they had similar levels of intelligence and very different points of view. It quite often made for some very lively debates.

"I'm actually surprised you haven't figured it out. It should be fairly obvious to you."

Hermione frowned and settled into her own chair. Harry had worded that deliberately. 'It should be fairly obvious _to you_'. So that meant it had to do with something only she knew about. But the only secret her and Harry were keeping at the moment was his relationship with Viktor…

"Harry," She asked gently, not wanting to upset him if she was wrong. Harry's growing feelings for the Quidditch star had been obvious to her but Viktor wasn't the type for commitment. Not that she knew him, she only had the tabloids and Harry's word to go on and neither were very reliable. Harry was still rather oblivious when it came to how people felt about him. Damn Dursleys. "Have you and Viktor…"

The question died in her throat as she saw pure joy light up her best friend's eyes. She had to bit her lip to keep from squealing in excitement. She was so happy for him.

"I want details, Mr Diggory. Full disclosure."

"There's not really much to say." Harry told her with a shrug. "I was on my way to meet him when Draco Malfoy of all people cornered me and asked me to the ball."

"Malfoy?" Hermione repeated with a frown. "I thought he'd go with someone he intended to court. Most of the heirs from the Ancient Houses are starting now."

"That's what he was trying to do."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Draco Malfoy wants to court you?"

"Yep. Of course I said no."

"I doubt he took that well."

"He didn't take it at all. Just told me he wasn't giving up and kissed me."

"Good Lord, what did you do?"

"Pushed him off, he still wouldn't give up though." Harry told her with a roll of his eyes. Hermione snorted.

"You're going to have your work cut out for you with him." She told him though he probably already knew that. "As interesting as this is, it doesn't explain how you and Viktor went from bed-buddies to… Whatever you are now."

Harry snorted this time. "Mione, I know your sensibilities are a tad more delicate than mine but I thought we'd gotten you to the stage were you could at least say 'fuck'."

"Okay, _fuck_ buddies then."

"Good girl, see it wasn't hard."

"Harry, do shut up and get on with the story." Hermione said, impatiently.

"Viktor saw."

"Viktor saw what?"

"Malfoy's rather strange attempt at asking me out. Or was he technically proposing?"

"Same thing to him." Hermione shrugged, most purebloods didn't really have a dating period. "So lemme guess, Viktor saw Malfoy's inept flirting and flew into a jealous rage?"

"Well, there was no flying but the jealous rage bit's right. Slamming doors and shouting. Followed by quite frankly glorious sex. Though I was rather confused at the time."

"Why?"

"I honestly didn't realise he felt anything for me, you know what I'm like. It just didn't occur to me he might be jealous."

"Oh, Harry." Hermione moaned, with sad eyes. Harry held up a hand to stop her from continuing.

"Spare me, Mione. I know how much the Dursley's fucked me up."

"You are _not_ fucked up, Harrison Diggory!" Hermione raged, eyes blazing. "Never let me hear you say that again. It's those bastards that are fucked up! To treat a child like that is wrong on every level."

"I know." Harry said with a sigh. "But the damage is done. I spent every day until I met the Diggorys, being told I was worthless. I know now that's not true but it's still not second nature to think people might care about me."

"What do you think Viktor will say when he finds out about the Dursleys?" Hermione asked, curious.

"I dunno." Harry said with a frown. "While I realise he has feelings for me, I don't know how deep they run and it was a long time ago. What's worrying me is how Cedric's gonna react when he finds out I'm going to the ball with someone not just older than me but older than _him_."

"He actually asked you to the ball?" Harry nodded. "Well, that implies things are at least somewhat serious or he wouldn't want the public knowing. The press are gonna have a field day with this."

Harry moaned out and dropped his face into his hands. "We'll either be glorified or vilified."

"You better send a warning letter to that Press Rep of yours, and maybe one to your Auntie Rita. A pre-emptive strike would be better than damage control."

Harry shook his head. "I'll warn them but I don't want there to be any sort of pre-emptive strike. I signed an exclusive contract with _The Daily Prophet_ and more specifically Auntie Rita. Anything a different paper writes has to be stated as speculation unless they have proof. Auntie Rita can write an article to come out on Boxing Day but I want no one to have any idea something might be going on between me and Viktor until the ball itself. I can't risk Cedric finding out."

"Harry, might it not be better to warn Cedric too? Let him cool off before he actually has to see you together?"

"Mione, Cedric won't take this well regardless of how he finds out. For the first time since I was adopted, I'm not spending Christmas with my parents. I wanna at least spend it with my brother and there's no guarantee he'd be over it by then. At least this way we get most of Christmas day together and the ball will be too busy for him to make a scene. He'll have you there dancing with him, helping him cool off and reminding him that the age gap between you two is not much better than me and Viktor."

Hermione bit her lip, still looking worried. "Do you think I have enough sway over Cedric for him to listen to me in this?"

"Mione my dearest, if you could see how he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching, you wouldn't ask that question."

Harry laughed in delight as Hermione turned a glowing cherry red.

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Harry bit his lip, he could see the other champions and their dates waiting outside the Great Hall, though they couldn't see him where he was hiding behind a suit of armour at the top of the staircase.

Hermione and Fleur looked stunning in their elegant dresses, they could pass for Royalty. So could Cedric and Roger actually. Though they didn't hold a candle to Viktor, Harry realised as he watched the Durmstrang Champion enter the Entrance Hall.

"Mr Krum, there you are." McGonagall fussed, hurrying over to the eighteen year old. "But where is your date? And in Merlin's name, where is Mr Diggory?"

"Harry will be here any minute, Professor." Hermione said before the woman could harass Viktor further, the stress of the tournament having obviously ruffled the usually composed woman. "He's just taking a few moments to gather his courage."

Harry sighed. That was his cue. He couldn't put it off any longer. With a deep breath, Harry straightened up and stepped out from his hiding place. The eyes of those in the Entrance Hall immediately snapped to him, though hopefully they'd think he just come from around the corner, not from behind a suit of armour.

His hands were shaking as he carefully descended the main staircase. No one was saying a word and Harry couldn't bring himself to look at any of them. He knew how different he looked. While he'd always worn nice clothes, he'd never had anything this fancy or elegant before. His dress robes were a birthday present from Sirius, apparently if he had to wear dress robes then he had to wear dress robes befitting the Potter-Black Heir.

"Mr Diggory." Professor McGonagall breathed. "Thank Merlin. I hope your date will be here soon."

Harry gulped and forced himself to meet the eyes of the transfiguration teacher. "My date is already here."

Before anyone had a chance to say anything else, Harry reached out and grasped the hand Viktor had extended.

"Nervous?" The Bulgarian grunted, trying to ignore the gobsmacked face of the others, bar Hermione who had known all along.

"Very." Harry whimpered. He was not looking forward to how the rest of the school reacted. With the exception of his death defying stunts at the end of every year, Harry had almost gone out of his way not to draw attention to himself but there was no avoiding it tonight. He was finally being forced into the spotlight.

Almost against his will, Harry's eyes darted in the direction of his brother and best friend. Their expressions couldn't be more different, Hermione was beaming from ear to ear while Cedric's attractive face was marred by a heavy frown. Though he did look more worried than angry. At least at the moment. Harry didn't know how long that would last.

Eventually, McGonagall snapped out of shock and forced everyone into a line. Cedric and Hermione were at the front of the procession with Fleur and Roger in the middle. Harry and Viktor were bringing up the rear.

The doors of the Great Hall opened with a creaking that sounded like the most ominous thing in the world to Harry, he felt like he was being led to the gallows. He hated being stared at. Though at least he knew how to dance. The Diggorys may not have been a Noble and Ancient House but they were purebloods which meant balls and socialising, Harry had known how to dance since he was nine years old.

Harry was aware of himself moving into the Hall with Viktor at his side but he couldn't really feel his feet moving, he was too busy trying to keep his panic at bay. The gasps of the crowd as they saw who he was with really weren't helping but he was doing his best to ignore them.

He sighed with relief as he was finally able to take his seat at the champion's table, smiling at Viktor who held his chair out for him. He could still feel the stares of everyone in the Hall but they were easier to ignore now he had other things to focus on.

The plates in front of them were empty and there was no food on the table, curiously Harry picked up the menu and frowned as he watched Dumbledore order pork chops. It was a highly convenient way of selecting food for those eating, no leaning over each other to grab dishes, but it hardly seemed fair to the house-elves. Harry couldn't figure out how they were doing it, did they have a certain amount of each meal? But what if a lot of people wanted the same thing? Or were they cooking everything as it was ordered? They must be rushed off their feet.

Almost everyone at the table was choosing something extravagant. Harry shared a quick look with Hermione, fine food was nice and everything but they weren't Draco, they didn't want sautéed mushrooms and stuffed clams.

He put his menu down with a smirk, he knew exactly what he wanted. Harry leant slightly towards his plate and ordered his food in a clear voice he knew would carry across the table.

"Burger and chips."

He heard Hermione snort quietly next to him and almost laughed himself at the looks Karkaroff and some of the ministry officials were shooting him.

"Chicken and chips."

Harry turned to his friend just in time to see the food appear on Hermione's plate.

The meal itself passed quickly after that and conversation flowed smoothly, though Harry contemplated shoving his fork into the eye of the redhead that wouldn't shut up. He had thought he'd seen the last of this Weasley.

Harry had a smile on his face as Viktor lead him onto the dance floor. He was actually looking forward to this, he would have preferred it if there weren't so many people staring at him but that couldn't be helped and it didn't really matter as long as it was Viktor he was dancing with.

Viktor guided Harry's hands into position, as was customary, while they waited for the music to start. Minutes later they were flawlessly moving around the dance floor. Harry couldn't help but completely relax for the first time that day as kept his eyes trained on Viktor's.

,-'-,-'-,-'-,-'-,-'-,-'-,-'-,-'-,

"Harry," Hermione called, walking over to the table Harry and Viktor were taking a break at. "I'm sorry to do this to you but…"

"Cedric's patience finally snapped and he wants a word with me."

Hermione just nodded, she'd been telling Cedric to leave Harry alone for the past hour already, if she didn't let him talk to his little brother soon he was probably just gonna throw Harry over his shoulder and make a run for it.

"I'm sorry, Viktor." Harry said with a sheepish smile. "I shouldn't be long, do you mind?"

"It is vine." Viktor told him with an easy smile, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, ignoring the round of gasps from those watching. "Mikhail has been vanting my attention for some time. Come find me vhen you are done."

"Who's Mikhail?" Hermione asked as they made their way outside to were Cedric was waiting.

"His closest friend, they have known each other most of their lives." Harry answered with a smile. "Apparently he's quite anxious to meet me, he's the only other person that knew about us. How's Cedric taking it?"

"Well, I think for the most part, he's just worried. Expect a bit of shouting though."

Harry went silent as he thought about the best way to handle the situation. Cedric was overprotective, but most of the time he was reasonable as long as he wasn't scared.

"He's just down there, Harry." Hermione said, pointing to the end of the hedge row. "There's a bench just round the corner."

"Thanks, Mione." He gave her a quick hug and shooed her back inside. "If I'm not back in half an hour, send someone to look for my body."

Harry was just about to turn the corner when he felt someone grab him from behind. He spun round quickly only to be confronted with the glaring face of Draco Malfoy.

"What do you want, Draco?" Harry asked with a sigh. He was so not in the mood for this.

"Did you really think I would allow this? I told you, Harrison, that I intended for you to be mine, no pathetic little foreigner is going to change that."

Harry bristled at the slight on Viktor. "Who are you to tell me what to do? You're a child, Draco. Throwing a tantrum because you can't have your own way. Your opinion means absolutely nothing to me and you can forget whatever delusions you have of us having some sort of future together. That has never and will never be an option. Do you understand that?"

Harry felt himself grabbed by the shoulders and forced up against the nearest hedge. He was expecting to be hit next or maybe even kissed again, he was honestly not expecting Draco to start chuckling.

"Is something funny?" Harry hissed, rather indignant that Draco was apparently finding this whole thing amusing.

"Just that you think you have a choice in the matter." He answered factually. "I'm a Malfoy. It's a well established fact that we always get what we want."

"Could you be any more arrogant?" Harry asked in disgust.

"I'm arrogant because I can be. There's no way the Minor House of Diggory could stand up to the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy."

Without giving Harry the chance to say anything else, Draco forced his head up and sealed his lips over the ones before him. Harry had never been so frustrated at his lack of height than he was at that moment, not to mention his lack of physical strength. Quidditch training had helped him somewhat but he was still on the delicate side and Draco easily overpowered him. He didn't even seem to notice Harry's attempts at pushing him off.

Harry shuddered in repulsion as he felt a tongue trying to force its way into his mouth. He was half tempted to let it just so he could bite it.

He'd really been hoping that when Draco saw him with Viktor at the Ball that he'd have got the message and backed off however this just proved that Draco's ego was even larger than Harry had already thought it was.

Just as Harry was about to lift his knee and show Draco just how little he thought of him, the larger boy was pulled off him and thrown to the ground.

Harry gulped at the fury on his brother's face. The last time Cedric had looked like that was when he'd found out just how far the Dursley's abuse had gone. Cedric looked like he wanted nothing more than to kill that arrogant little shit there and than.

"The House of Malfoy might be stronger than the House of Diggory," Cedric spat, showing he had overheard at least the end of the conversation. "But Harry is still part of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter and we have alliance with the Blacks, not to mention Harry's status as the Boy-Who-Lived. So don't you dare think you can pressure him into a relationship. You'd be crushed if you tried to go head to head with us."

"Not to mention our connections with the House of Longbottom and the Minister of Magic." Harry couldn't resist adding with a smirk. While Lucius Malfoy could make things difficult for his family if the man gave in to Draco's whining, nothing he could do would stick. Between Uncle Sirius and Uncle Cornelius, they were pretty safe from the Malfoy influence.

Especially since Sirius could disown Narcissa if they went too far, and while this wouldn't have too much affect on their lives, it would be considered a scandal.

Draco picked himself up of the floor and straightened him robes with as much dignity as he could muster, which wasn't a lot at this point.

"You'll regret that, Diggory." Malfoy informed him with a sneer. "You'll spend the rest of your life working in the lowest levels of the ministry while your brother there will have my ring on his finger by the end of the year."

Both brothers knew it was purely posturing. Draco couldn't guarantee either of those things, it was wounded pride talking.

"Draco," Harry said with a sigh. "Go find someone else to bear the title of future-Malfoy, it won't be me. I'm taken."

The blonde just smirked at him and walked away with his usual swagger leaving the brothers in the now somewhat awkward silence.

"So you're 'taken'?" Cedric asked, there was something off about the casual way he said it but Harry couldn't put his finger on what it was. "That means this is serious. You're serious about him?"

"Yeah, I am." Harry muttered, too terrified to look his brother in the face.

"You love him?" The weirdness in Cedric's voice more obvious but Harry still didn't know what it was.

"I-" Harry didn't know how to answer that question, he'd never examined his feelings that deeply, he just knew he had them. "Almost." He said honestly with a small smile.

Cedric sighed and pulled his little brother into an almost bone crushing hug, trying to ignore the pang in his heart at the thought of his brother growing up. He could still remember the timid little six year old he'd seen whispering to snakes at the zoo. Was that really so long ago? Seven and a half years. It had gone by far too fast in Cedric's opinion.

"You will always be my baby brother." He whispered into the windswept mess his brother called hair. "Even when you're fifty, you will still be my baby brother." Cedric placed a quick kiss on the scared for head before stepping away.

"Thank you." Harry whispered back, his eyes suspiciously bright.

"But I really don't like the age gap." The older boy added with a frown, unwilling to let it go quite that easily.

"Age is just a number." Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

"And jail is just a room."

"Cedric!"

"Come on, lets head back in, it's freezing out here." Cedric gave a malicious grin, his eyes full of unholy glee. "Besides, I need to go find that boyfriend of yours and let him know exactly what will happen if he so much as makes you frown. I wonder if the Twins would want to help me."

"Ced-ric!" Harry couldn't help but whine as he hurried after his brother who was already running full tilt back towards that castle.

While he was relieved that Cedric had taken that better than expected, no doubt thanks to Malfoy showing just how much worse it could have been if Harry had gone with _him_, he couldn't help but pity Viktor, especially if the Twins agreed to lend a hand.

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